


A Great Adventure

by newdog14



Series: A Great Life [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: 1820s-1850s, Aged up characters, BillDip, Drinking, Gen, Human Bill Cipher, M/M, Pirate AU, Pirates are Awesome, Probably some historical inaccuracies, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-03
Updated: 2016-02-06
Packaged: 2018-05-04 18:34:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 35,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5344319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newdog14/pseuds/newdog14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dipper and Mabel Pines are on their way to starting their new lives as adults. Dipper is off to become a crew member on his great uncle's ship, while Mabel is entering an arranged marriage with a man she's never even met. There's only one problem, the ship that's taking them to these new lives was sunk in a storm.</p><p>Now they're separated and living amongst pirates, where every day is new adventure filled with treasure, battle, romance, and rum!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Setting Sail

Dipper smiled as he watched his sister desperately try to pack all off her sewing projects into her last trunk.

“I think you’re going to have to make some sacrifices here Mabel,” Dipper commented, trying to keep his amusement out of his voice. He’d finished packing hours ago, but he supposed that was because he had less stuff, “It’s not like you won’t have it if it can’t fit, you’ll just have to wait for it to be shipped to England.”

“But what if I need it before it gets there?” Mabel said, frowning at the trunk as if she could make it larger by sheer force of will. Dipper actually wouldn’t be surprised if she was successful.

“What could you possibly need a half finished embroidery for?” Dipper asked.

“Entertainment!” Mabel said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “The voyage to England is a lengthy one, and we’ve got to go down to Havana first so that’ll add a few extra weeks. I’m going to need _something_ to fill the time Dipper.”

“Well on the way to England you’ll have your _fiancé_ to keep you occupied,” Dipper said in a teasing tone, “And on the way to Havana I would have thought you’d want to spend every second of the trip with me.”

“Oh Dipper!” Mabel said, trunk forgotten as she wrapped him in a hug, “Why do you have to go sail with Grunkle Stan? Couldn’t you join the crew of _The Telepathy_ instead? Then I’d get to see you more.”

Dipper returned the hug, he was going to miss Mabel more than anything else on land, “Because then I’d have to join the British Navy. I want to be a sailor, not a solider. Besides, I’m sure I’ll go to England every now and again, and when I do we can catch up and you can tell me all about how stuffy the British ladies are.”

She giggled, and Dipper sighed internally. Ever since their father had announced that Mabel was to marry a captain in the British Navy she’d been fretting about it, bouncing between excitement and terror at the prospect of marrying a total stranger. Their father assured her that Captain Gleeful was a proper gentleman and that she’d be perfectly happy with him, but she still worried about having to move to England. Dipper felt bad for her, and sometimes he really did consider joining the Navy instead of sailing under his Great Uncle Stan, but he’d been dreaming about joining the crew of _El Misterio_ since he was just a kid, and while Mabel did ask she knew he’d never really give up that dream.

“Dipper! Mabel! It’s time to go!” Their father called up the stairs. Mabel turned back to her trunk, pulled out the embroideries that wouldn’t fit and slammed the trunk shut.

“Coming!” She called, grabbing a small bag to stuff the embroideries into, and Dipper helped her maneuver the trunk downstairs. The two hugged their parents and said goodbye, then stepped into the carriage that would take them to the docks.

Mabel bounced with excitement, despite her apprehensions about the circumstances, she was overjoyed to get the chance to see a little more of the world. Jamestown was nice, but after eighteen years of never leaving the settlement they were both itching to see what it was like outside those triangular walls, “What do you think Havana will be like?”

“Tropical?” Dipper suggested, he’d seen maps of the Cuban city, but never any descriptions, much to his disappointment. He’d scoured every book in his father’s study looking for information after he’d gotten his uncle’s letter declaring the city to be the pickup point, but to no avail.

“But what about the people? Or the animals!” Mabel said, Dipper smiled as she started talking about the cute little monkeys she’d read about in her novels, which of course led her to go on and on about the romantic aspect of said novels, and soon Dipper had completely tuned her out. Luckily for him the docks weren’t far, and soon they were boarding _The Diviner_.

The crew took their things to the cabin the twins would be sharing, but Dipper didn’t feel like going below just yet. He leaned against the railing as wind blew through his hair, feeling at peace while the men bustled around preparing the ship to sail.

“So this is it then?” Mabel said, leaning next to him as the ship began to pull away from the dock, “We’re officially adults, off to start new lives hundreds of miles away from anyone we’ve ever known?”

“I guess so,” Dipper said, putting his arm around her, “But don’t you think for a second that all those miles will keep me from writing to you every chance I get.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Mabel said, smiling at him. Dipper couldn’t help but smile back, her teeth may have been a bit crooked, but he had always thought her smile was better than anyone else’s.

Dipper sighed as he watched the shoreline fade, “This is the start of a great adventure Mabel, just you wait and see.”

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

It’d been three weeks since they’d left Jamestown, and it had been raining for the past two days. Dipper was starting to understand why Mabel had been so adamant about bringing something to keep her busy. Though it had become evident that sewing wasn’t quite as entertaining as she thought it would be.

“Dipper,” she whined, “I’m so bored.”

“What about all those embroideries you brought?” Dipper said, laughing as she groaned.

“I’m sick of sewing!” Mabel said, “What’s the point when there’s no one to show it to?”

“Mabel I am always happy to look at your stitches,” Dipper said.

“But you don’t know what they are,” Mabel said, “You can’t appreciate the complexity of the work.”

“Maybe not, but I like seeing the pictures,” He replied, “But if you’d like we could go to the galley, I’m sure the crew will have a few stories to tell you. Besides, it’s almost dinner time anyhow.”

Mabel perked up at that, and the two made their way through the ship to the galley. When they arrived the crew was already drinking heavily, and singing sea shanties at the top of their lungs. Dipper grinned at the sight, and they grabbed a seat towards the end of the table.

“Enjoying the trip kids?” asked an old man with a long white beard, Dipper had seen him around before but didn’t know his name.

“Definitely!” Mabel said, never afraid of talking to someone new, “I wish it would stop raining though, I liked being able to sit on the deck. It’s so boring down here.”

“I’d be happy to tell you a few stories to pass the time,” the man said, and Mabel’s eyes lit up. She loved a good story.

“Careful lass,” another man shouted from down the table, “That McGucket will talk your ear off with his nonsense if you let him!”

“Quiet you!” McGucket yelled back, “My stories are perfectly sound!”

“Bullocks!” another man said, “All ye ever go on about is sirens and sea monsters and hidden treasure, never a lick a truth to anything!”

“I’ll tell you kids a real story,” said the first man, “About the deadliest thing you’ll ever find in these waters,” Thunder sounded, as if the storm itself was agreeing with him, “You kids ever heard of a ship called _Mentis_?”

Dipper shook his head, the name seemed familiar but he couldn’t place it. Mabel was transfixed though, eyes wide as she listened intently.

“They call her captain the Demon of the Caribbean, and he’s the most fearsome pirate to ever set sail. When he and his men decide to sink a ship there are no survivors,” the man said, and Dipper found himself being drawn into the story, “Not even the full power of a navy can bring him down, not Britain or Spain or France. He sails the waters unopposed, and all who meet him will find themselves sent to a watery grave.”

Mabel shuddered, and the thunder sounded again, but it seemed closer this time. He looked up to the windows as lighting flashed, and then there was a lot of shouting above them. A man came bursting into the galley, soaking wet and looking terrified.

“All ‘ands!” He bellowed, “The foremast ‘as caught fire!”

Dipper froze, and Mabel looked at him with fear in her eyes, “Please tell me that’s not a bad as it sounds.”

The sailors were all scrambling to the deck, shouting and praying, all merriment gone, “Actually it’s quite a bit worse. Come on.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her up to the deck. The rain whipped at his face, and he was soaked through to the bone within minutes. He couldn’t see much, but he saw the flames, and they were spreading. Mabel held his hand in a death grip, and Dipper could see the flames reflected in her bright brown eyes.

“Get out the way!” shouted a sailor, pushing the twins apart as he moved towards the flames.

“Mabel!” Dipper shouted, trying to grab her hand again as she slipped towards the edge of the ship, “Grab onto something!”

But it was too late, a massive wave crashed over her side of the ship, and when the water receded she was gone. The boat rocked beneath him, and all Dipper could do was hold on for dear life, the ship now at the mercy of the sea. Then lightning hit again, and the main mast came crashing down, and ship began to come apart.

Dipper tried to shout, but suddenly he was in the water and he didn’t know which way was up. He grabbed a piece of wood, hoping against hope that he would get back to the surface before he drowned. He felt like a rag doll as he spun through the water, and while he fought to stay awake it was a losing battle. In the end he welcomed unconsciousness, clinging to his wood like a lifeline. His last thought was that he hoped Mabel would be alright, then everything went black.


	2. A Great Uncle

Mabel woke suddenly, gasping for air as she coughed up sea water. Her throat felt scratchy and she was very thirsty, and her head pounded enough that she wondered if she’d hit it on something.

“Alright there lass?” a woman asked her, and Mabel looked up to see her rescuer. She had a kind face, though it was covered in freckles and scars, and bright red hair that fell loosely behind her.

“Dipper!” Mabel said, suddenly remembering the storm, “He was on the ship with me, have you seen anyone else?”

“I’m ‘fraid I haven’t seen anything but debris. And you,” the woman said, “Name’s Wendy, first mate of _El Misterio_. Mind telling me who you are?”

“ _El Misterio_?” Mabel repeated, recognition sparking in her eyes, “That’s my great uncle’s ship! I’m Mabel Pines, my brother and I were on our way to Havana, Dipper was gonna join your crew!”

“It that so?” Wendy said, a hint of a smile on her face, “Then we best get you on board. You know how to row a long boat?”

It was then that Mabel noticed they were in a row boat, though she could see a ship a little ways off. Mabel had no idea how to row a long boat, but she wanted to help, and surely it couldn’t be that hard, “Can you teach me?”

Wendy’s small smile turned into a full blown grin, and she handed Mabel a pair of oars, quickly going over how to hold them and which way to turn them, and then they were off, “You’re a quick learner kid.”

Mabel smiled, glad she wasn’t completely useless, “How far are we from Havana?”

“Not far,” Wendy said, “If the winds are on our side we’ll be there in about a week. Why?”

“Well like I said, that’s where we were heading,” Mabel said, “Dipper was going to join your crew, and I’m engaged to Captain Gideon Gleeful, and he was going to pick me up there.”

Wendy made a face of disgust at Gideon’s name, “Geez, how’d you end up engaged to a prick like that?”

That made Mabel nervous, “It was arranged by him and my father, and my father swears he’s a perfect gentleman, but I’ve never met him. Have you heard otherwise?”

“I’ve never heard anything about his personal life,” Wendy said, “But I have heard about all the brave men and women he’s had hung for piracy.”

Mabel’s eyes got big, “Has he hung anyone who doesn’t deserve it?”

“No one deserves to be hung for piracy if you ask me,” Wendy said, “But they were all pirates. I knew a few of them, they were good people.”

Mabel was about to ask how Wendy knew pirates, but then she realized they’d reached the ship.

“Alright you scallywags, drop the ropes will ya!” At Wendy’s shout a set of ropes dropped down, and Wendy quickly tied them to some rings at the front and back of the little boat, “Alright! Now pull us up!”

There was a yank, and Mabel couldn’t stop herself from falling over when the boat rose out of the water. Wendy grinned at her, and Mabel tried very hard not to look down as they rose higher and higher. But the jerky ride only lasted a few minutes, and then they were on board _El Misterio_ , and Mabel was relieved to be on a real ship again.

“Wendy!” A gruff voice called out, and an old man came striding forward to greet them. Mabel didn’t recognize him at first, but then she saw the captain’s hat that was embroidered with a fish eating a dot, and she realized this was the man she’d only ever seen in portraits, “I send you out to salvage a ship wreck and you bring me a girl?”

“Not just any old girl, Captain” Wendy said, smirking, “She’s a special one.”

“Oh yeah?” Stan replied, “How do you figure that?”

“I’d like you to meet Mabel Pines, your dear great niece,” Wendy replied.

Mabel shifted as her great uncle looked her up and down, “Well I’ll be damned,” then his face split into a grin, and he pulled her into a one armed hug, “It’s good to meet ya Mabel! Sorry I didn’t recognize ya, but to be fair you look like hell.”

She laughed as he released her, “I’m glad to meet you too, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to see you when we got Havana.”

“Let’s get you cleaned up, then you can tell me how you ended up half drowned off the coast of Florida,” he said, “Wendy! Take her to the washroom and fetch her some new clothes. And I mean my washroom, not the crew’s!” He added, and some of the crew looked a bit disappointed, “The rest o’ you lot better get back to work, ‘fore I have ya keelhauled!”

The crew scattered, and Wendy led Mabel into the ship, down to what was presumably the captain’s quarters. There was a large bath, and Wendy set to filling it, as Mabel studied her reflection in the mirror.

Her hair was a tangled mess, and the pins that had kept it in its neat bun were likely gone. He dress was in tatters, the bright pink fabric faded and frayed. There was a cut just above her hairline, which was likely why her head hurt so much, and there was enough dried blood caked in her hair and on her face to be concerning.

“Grunkle Stan was right, I do look like hell,” Mabel said, “I’m not sure my own mother would recognize me like this.”

Wendy laughed, “Well I think you look pretty good for someone who was just fished out of the ocean. Most people who come out of that water don’t fair half so well, assuming they come out at all. You sure you weren’t the one meant to join our crew?”

Mabel tried to smile, but the jest made her think of her brother. The last thing she could remember was his look of terror as she was swept off the boat, “I hope Dipper’s okay,” she felt tears prick at her eyes, and she brushed them away before Wendy could see.

“I wouldn’t worry too much, if he’s anything like you I’m sure he’ll be alright,” Wendy said, “If serving under your uncle has taught me anything, it’s that the Pines family is made of stronger stuff than most.”

Mabel smiled, and when she turned she found that the bath was ready. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

After a quick scrub and with a fresh set of clothes, Mabel felt refreshed and ready for anything. Though as she looked at herself in the mirror she didn’t feel much like herself. She was wearing some of the crew’s old clothes, a plain cotton shirt that went down to her knees, some loose tan breeches, and some old brown boots that were a bit too big. She tied a brown sash around her waist and rolled up her sleeves, and she couldn’t help but smile a bit. She may not look much like Mabel Pines, the merchant’s daughter, but she really liked the look of Mabel Pines, the captain’s niece.

“Ready yet?” Wendy asked from outside the room.

“Yep!” Mabel said cheerily, turning on her heel and exiting the washroom. Grunkle Stan was waiting for her in his study, currently absorbed in writing a letter. Wendy cleared her throat and he looked up, grinning at the sight of Mabel.

“Much better!” He said, “Now why don’t you tell me what happened.”

Grunkle Stan listened intently as Mabel launched into the story, probably adding more details than were strictly necessary.  When she finished he turned to Wendy, “And you’re certain there was no one else in the wreckage?”

“Absolutely,” Wendy said, “But with a storm like that, I’ll bet there are lots of flotsam patches floating around, so it’s more than likely that there were other survivors.”

Mabel released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, there was still a chance that Dipper was alive. And when she really thought about it she knew that he was, she could feel it in her gut that he was still alive.

“If he can, he’ll go to Havana,” Mabel said, and the others looked at her, “Dipper, I mean. Because he knows that’s where you all were going to pick him up. So we should go there too. We just have too.”

“Don’t worry,” Grunkle Stan said, “Going to Havana was never up for debate, we have other business to attend to there.”

Mabel sighed in relief again, and she found that she’d never been quite this anxious to get to Havana before. Even if a stranger was waiting for her there, there was a chance that Dipper would be too. And that thought alone was enough to outweigh any misgivings she might have about her impending marriage.

 


	3. The Demon of The Caribbean

Dipper woke to someone pounding on his chest, and shouting.

“You’re doing it wrong Teeth!” a woman said, directly into his ear, “You have to give him air too!”

“Well if you know much about it you do it!” A man replied, presumably Teeth as the pounding stopped. Then there was a mouth over his own and Dipper couldn’t breathe again. He shoved at whatever was cutting off his air – a face apparently – and opened his eyes.

“See! He woke up!” said the woman. She had short hair, oversized ears, and a nasty grin that made Dipper wish he’d never opened his eyes. Also standing over him was a bald man with very large, pure white teeth. He wasn’t sure if his mouth was just excessively large or if the rest of his face was simply very small, but the effect was unnerving either way.

“Congrats kid, I’d say you’re the first person to get a kiss from Pryronica and live to tell the tale,” the speaker was a large man that Dipper had to sit up to see properly. He was enormous and dark skinned, his face was flat and his body was covered in scar tissue.

“Why I oughtta-” Pyronica had been marching towards the large man, but before she could finish her threat she was interrupted by a very handsome, perfectly ordinary man. His dark brown hair was slicked back, and Dipper could see his reflection in the man’s boots.

“Don’t you lot have work to be getting back to?” he said, “The captain won’t like it if he catches you trying to kill each other while on duty again.”

Pyronica seemed crest fallen, but she didn’t argue any further, “Aye-Aye sir.”

“Oh and Xanthar, you really ought to be careful about provoking that woman, I’d hate for her to set something on fire again,” said the ordinary man. Xanthar grumbled something Dipper couldn’t hear and walked off, followed by the man called Teeth.

Dipper rubbed his head, suddenly realizing just how much it hurt. He must have hit it on something. With that thought he remembered the storm, and the fire, and—

“Mabel!” he shouted, getting up and running to look over the side of the boat, he could see the wreckage they must have pulled him from, but nothing that resembled his sister.

“Careful there kid,” said the ordinary man, “If you fall off the side I’m not going to pull you out again.”

“Did you see anyone else?” Dipper asked, frantic, “I was traveling with my sister, she’s my age, brown hair, she was in a pink dress-”

“Sorry kid, I didn’t see her,” the man replied, “But between you and me, that’s probably a good thing. A ship like this is no place for a young lady.”

Dipper’s heart sunk, but considering what he’d already heard he couldn’t help but agree with the man.

“The name’s Tad Strange, and I’m the first mate on this ship,” he said, smiling at Dipper, “I’m sorry about your sister, but I got a feeling the captain would like to meet you, if you think you’re up to it.”

Dipper nodded, and Tad led him to the captain’s quarters. It was a very beautiful room, the back wall was made of glass, and was framed with gold curtains. The other two walls were lined with bookshelves, maps, and paintings. There was another door to the left, and a large globe of the world on the right. In the center of the room was an ornate black desk, with gold finishing and two matching chairs in front of it. Standing behind the desk was the captain himself, a handsome man dressed in black and gold finery, and he had a gold pedant in the shape of a triangle around his neck. He’d been studying a map, but he looked up when they entered the room, a broad grin on his face when he saw Dipper.

“I’ll take it this is the shipwreck survivor then?” He said, striding forward to shake Dipper’s hand. Dipper couldn’t help but take notice of the pistol and sword that hung at the captain’s belt, but he tried not to linger on them, “It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

“Thank you for pulling me out of the water sir,” Dipper said, and the captain laughed. Dipper liked the sound of his laugh, and the way his eyes crinkled. The captain had very beautiful golden eyes.

“Don’t thank me for that,” he said, “That was all Tad.”

Dipper turned to thank Tad, but the man had disappeared. The captain slug an arm around his shoulder and led him to the chairs in front of the desk, “So how’d you wind up drifting in the ocean kid?”

Dipper rubbed his neck nervously, “There was a storm, and our ship sank.”

“Our?” the captain questioned.

“Er, I was traveling to Havana with my sister,” Dipper said, and his worry from earlier returned, “I have to find her sir, and I know Havana is where she’ll try to go, if she can. We were supposed to meet her fiancé there, and then I was going to join a crew-”

“Join a crew huh?” the captain interrupted, “Well you don’t need to go all the way to Havana for that. Shame about your sister though, I’d offer to take you, but we just left Havana and I don’t think they’ll be too happy to see us again anytime soon.”

“Why not?” Dipper asked.

The captain didn’t answer the question, instead he stood and walked to the other side of the room, over to a table on the left that Dipper hadn’t seen when he walked in, “You thirsty kid?”

Dipper hadn’t realized until then just how thirsty he really was, his throat felt like sandpaper, “Very.”

The captain poured something, and then came back with two glass tumblers filled with an amber liquid. Dipper took a sip, it burned his throat like crazy, and did nothing to quench his thirst, but it tasted expensive so he figured he should probably drink it all anyway, “Thank you sir.”

The captain shook his head, he seemed very amused, “There’s no need to call me sir kid.”

“What should I call you then?” Dipper asked.

“Oh that’s right, I never introduced myself did I? How rude of me,” the captain knocked back his drink in one go, then smiled again, “The name’s Bill Cipher, captain of the _Mentis_.”

Dipper stiffened, and his tongue felt like lead. Surely this wasn’t same ship in the story he’d heard on _The Diviner_. It couldn’t be _that Mentis_.

“You okay there kid?” Bill asked, watching Dipper with a bemused look.

Dipper swallowed, trying to find the right words, “You don’t mean  _Mentis_ as in the pirate ship, do you?”

Realization passed over Bill’s face, and he laughed again, “I take it you’ve heard a few sailor’s stories then. Well I’m afraid I must inform you, that yes, I do mean _Mentis,_ the fearsome pirate vessel captained by the Demon of the Caribbean.”

Dipper felt himself stiffen, of all the ships that could have picked him up why did it _have_ to be this one?

“Say, you never told me your name either,” Bill said, leaning back and watching Dipper. He was definitely aware of how terrified Dipper was, but he merely seemed amused by it.

“Dipper Pines,” he said, and watched as Bill’s eyes lit up, he was certainly thinking something, but Dipper had no idea what.

“Alright Pine Tree,” Bill said, “And you said you were looking to join a crew right?”

Dipper stiffened, was Bill offering to make him a member of _this_ crew? Dipper wasn’t sure if he should be terrified or relieved by the idea, “Er, yes. My great uncle was going to pick me up in Havana.”

“Captain Stan Pines right?” Bill said, “Of _El Misterio_? Now why would you want to join a second class band of pirates like that?”

“Pirates?” Dipper said, suddenly confused, “My uncle’s a trader.”

Bill barked a laugh, “If your uncle’s a trader, I’m The Pope. Now as I saying, why join a crew like that, when you could sail with the most fearsome band of pirates to roam these waters?”

Dipper tried to think of an appropriate answer. Because he had morals? Because he’d made a promise to his family? Because the thought of killing someone made him sick to his stomach?

Bill seemed to sense his apprehension, “How about I rephrase the question? Why leave this ship a corpse, when you could stay aboard it as a valued member of my crew?”

Dipper’s head snapped up, searching Bill’s face for any sign of mirth, or hesitation. He found none.

“What would you like me to do Captain?” Bill’s grin returned and he stood, then walked to the other side of his desk.

“You any good at navigating kid?” he asked, pulling out maps and star charts.

“I certainly think so,” Dipper said, peering at the maps, “That’s what I’ve spent the most time studying at least.”

“Perfect!” Bill said, “I’ve been needing a new navigator. Word to the wise kid, don’t mess with Pyronica, that’s how I lost the last one.”

Dipper’s head snapped up, terror clear across his face, only to see Bill barely containing his laughter.

“Relax kid, I’m just kidding,” he said, “Mostly.”

Dipper suddenly wondered if it might have been better to just let the captain kill him, at least that way it might have been quick, “So where are we going?”

Bill grinned at him, a mischievous glint in his golden eyes, “Tortuga.”


	4. Hangover Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so a note on the format of this story! Every time I update (and I'm going to try and do that every week), I'm going to post two chapters. This is because they will (usually) take place at the same time. 
> 
> Also, I'd like to thank everyone who commented, bookmarked, and/or left kudos, you guys are really awesome and I've never had a story get so much attention so soon after posting it so really just thank you all!

Mabel was sitting in the galley with Wendy, and she was determined to learn the names of every crew member before the night was over. Ordinarily this wouldn’t be a problem, but she’d been drinking. Now normally, Dipper would be around to count her cups and cut her off before she’d had too much, but the crew of _El Misterio_ didn’t seem to care how drunk she got. As a result of this, Mabel had only managed to learn the names of four other crew members.

First was Soos, who she’d met while sober. He was very funny, and apparently he and Stan had met in Havana. He was the ship’s handy man, and according to Wendy he was the only thing holding “this godforsaken hunk of junk together.”

Then there was Candy and Grenda, who had given Mabel her first bottle of rum. Mabel quickly decided that she liked rum, because while it burned a little bit, it was also very sweet. Candy was from Korea, and Grenda was from Austria, and the three of them hit it off immediately.

The last person Mabel could clearly remember meeting was Robbie, Wendy’s boyfriend. Mabel had thought he was a bit strange, and that Wendy could do better, but she supposed he was alright. After that though they’d gone to the galley for dinner, and then everything was a blur of rum and food.

“So what do you think so far Mabel?” Wendy asked, her face a little ruddy from the rum.

“Thisis sooo much fun!” Mabel slurred, “I never knew sailing would be so exciting. No wonder Dipper was soo dead set on joining the crew.”

Wendy laughed a bit, “I’m starting to think I let you have a bit too much rum Mabel.”

Mabel giggled, “Nahhh, I’m fine!” She took another swig from the bottle in her hand to emphasize the point, “Anywhooo, I always thought that being on a merchance…mercant…merchant! That a merchant ship would be suuuuuuuper boring, but it’sss really not!”

Wendy laughed again, “Merchant ship? I didn’t think you were _that_ drunk.”

“What do ya mean?” Mabel asked, suddenly confused.

“ _El Misterio_ is a pirate ship Mabel,” Wendy said, “Did you really not know?”

“Nope!” Mabel said, bursting into giggles again, “But ya know that makes a loooooot more sense now that I think about it. Pirates are waaay more fun than merchants. You’re sooo lucky to get to be one. I wish I could join a pirate crew.”

“Well then what’s stopping you?” Wendy asked, cocking an eyebrow, “I’m sure if you asked Stan would let you stay on.”

Mabel’s eyes got big at that, “You really think so? Ohhh that’d be sooo cool!” but then her face fell, “Awww but I can’t. I have to marry Gideon.”

“Says who?” Wendy asked, “You’ve never met the guy, you had no say in the arrangement, has he even written to you?”

“You know he hasn’t!” Mabel said, suddenly feeling very outraged by the very idea of an arranged marriage, “All my life, all I ever wanted was to find my one true love, and marry them! But then, compleeeeetely out of the blue mind you, my father comes home going oooon and ooooon about this Gideon fellow, and how perfect he is! If he was soooo perfect, he would have courted me! Instead of just striking a deal with my father!”

“How perfectly inconsiderate of him,” Wendy said.

“I know!” Mabel said, “I’m an adult now you know. And I can make my own choices!”

“That’s right!” Wendy said.

“And you know what?” Mabel said, jumping up and standing on her seat, “I wanna join the crew of _El Misteriooooooo!_ ” She shouted that, and there were cheers from some of the other crew members. Grenda and Candy came over, large grins plastered to their faces as they picked Mabel up and balanced her between their shoulders. Mabel laughed, hardly noticing how wobbly the girls were.

“This calls for a celebration!” Wendy called across the hall, and this time the whole lot of them cheered, “To Mabel Pines!” She called, lifting her bottle in the air, “Long may she sail!” Wendy took a swig of her bottle, and the rest of the crew followed suit.

The rest of the night was filled with dancing and singing, as the sailors tried to teach Mabel all their favorite sea shanties.

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

When Mabel woke up, she was certain that she’d died. Her head felt as though someone had run over it with a horse. Twice. And then taken a hammer to it for good measure. She tried to sit up, but immediately regretted it when she felt the contents of her stomach come back to haunt her.

“Aim for the bucket!” Wendy all but shouted as Mabel leaned over the side of her cot and retched. She did her best to get it mostly in the bucket, but she didn’t look to see how successful she was.

“Am I dead?” Mabel asked, “I feel like I’m dead.”

Wendy laughed, “Nah, just hungover. I think we all are, though I’m guessing this is your first?”

Mabel groaned, “I’m never drinking again.”

Wendy laughed again, “Ah, you’ll change your tune soon. You just gotta learn to pace yourself.”

Mabel groaned again, “Are mornings always this awful?”

“Nah, this is just because we were celebrating you joining the crew,” Wendy said, then paused as a new thought occurred to her, “You do still want to, right?”

Mabel thought for a moment, her memory was a little hazy, but she remembered her conversation with Wendy, and how excited the crew was about the announcement of her joining them. She smiled, “I definitely still want to join. Despite how awful I feel now, I don’t think I’ve had quite that much fun in years.”

Wendy smiled at her, looking a bit relieved, “Then let’s go break the news to your uncle!”

Mabel felt a rush of excitement, and jumped out of the cot. This was a mistake, as she immediately retched again.

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

“You sure?” Grunkle Stan asked, “It’s not all fun and games being a pirate, you’ll be a wanted criminal if you sail with me, and if you’re caught they’ll hang you without a second thought.”

Mabel nodded solemnly, “I know, Wendy told me about the hangings when I boarded. But I’m sick and tired of letting other people make big decisions about my life without me, and this way I’ll be free to make my own choices, and be with people I know I like.”

Stan stood and held out his hand, she shook it and he grinned at her, “Then welcome to _El Misterio_ Mabel. Glad to have you aboard.”

“Glad to be here,” Mabel said, “Though now I’d like to excuse myself, as I’m about to throw up again.”

She bolted out the door like a bullet from a gun, and ran full speed to the railing before she threw up for the third time that morning.

Mabel groaned, “I hate alcohol.”

“You just need a drinking buddy,” Wendy said, Mabel leaned against the railing, unsure if it was safe to move again.

“Oh yeah?” Mabel said, “What’s the point of that, so that I’ve got someone to suffer with me in the morning?”

She heard Grunkle Stan laughing behind her, “Nah, it’s to keep you from drinking too much.”

“Oh,” Mabel said, and she suddenly felt a pain in her chest, “Dipper used to do that. I miss him.”

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up at her great uncle, “Don’t worry Mabel, we’ll find him.”

She hugged him, burying her face in his chest, “Thank you Grunkle Stan.”

“And in the meantime, we’ll keep you so busy you won’t even have time to think about missing him,” he said, “Ain’t that right Wendy?”

“Aye-Aye Captain,” Wendy said, giving him a mock salute, “I’ll have her turned into a proper pirate in no time, by the time we reach Havana she’ll be even scarier than you in the early morning!”

“Har Har,” Stan said, glaring at the grinning redhead.

Mabel giggled, she knew she’d made the right choice with joining this crew, and that she’d be happy living on the ship.

“Mabel, make sure you don’t let Wendy’s mouth rub off on you,” Grunkle Stan said, “I don’t think I could take having two of her on my ship.”

He shook his head, muttering something about a lack of respect as he walked back to his quarters. Wendy just laughed.

“Alright Mabel, I know you’re still feeling awful, so will start with something simple,” Wendy said, walking over to a pile of crates, “Knott tying! I know it sounds boring, but I promise this is one of the most important skills you will ever learn.”

“I’m ready when you are!” Mabel said, “Though can we stay out here? The fresh air helps.”


	5. What's in a Name?

“Tortuga?” Dipper looked at the map, he’d never heard of such a place. Bill pointed to a small island off the coast of Haiti.

“It’s one of the most popular ports for pirates,” Bill said, “Every ship that comes to the Caribbean stops there are some point. It’s also the best place to pick up new crew members, and I’ve been running low lately.”

“Where are we now?” Dipper asked, glancing longingly at Havana. For all he knew that would be his last chance to see Mabel, but there was no way for him to get there, Bill had made that clear.

“We’re just past the tip of Cuba,” Bill said, “You still worried about your sister?”

“She’s the most important person in my life, and the last time I saw her she was being washed off a ship by a wave,” Dipper said, “She’s not made for this kind of thing, she’s a proper young lady. I know she’ll go to Havana though, I can feel it.”

“I’m sure she’ll try, but I’ve yet to meet a captain who’d change his course for someone he’d pulled out of the water,” Bill said, “But if she’s still alive, chances are she’s on a pirate ship, and if she’s on a pirate ship, she’ll wind up in Tortuga sooner or later. I have friends down there, they’ll keep an eye out for her.”

Dipper was still worried, but he could see the logic behind Bill’s words. He just hoped the captain was right.

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

The one good thing about _Mentis_ was that, for the most part, the crew ignored him. As long as he was quiet and stayed out of the way they’d go about their business without him. Which was good, because they were all psychopaths and their business absolutely terrified him.

“I’ll burn you alive for that 8-Ball!” Pyronica shouted, chasing a thin man who was covered in tattoos around the galley.

“Why does everyone here have such weird names?” Dipper asked Tad. He liked Tad, as he was seemingly the only other sane person aboard. Though it seemed unlikely that anyone could be sane here, so Dipper couldn’t be completely certain.

Tad laughed, “Bill gives everyone nicknames, that’s how you know he likes you. There are reasons behind all of them, some more obvious than others.”

“Oh that makes sense,” Dipper said, “Does everyone go by their nickname?”

“No,” Tad said, “But most of ‘em won’t share their real name. I’d recommend you do the same, some of the people we get here are a little unsavory.”

Pyronica had caught 8-Ball, and there was a look of pure terror engraved on his face. Dipper wondered what he’d done to make her so angry.

“Now just what is going on down here?” Bill’s voice boomed across the galley, and the whole crew went silent for a minute, then Bill grinned and they all heaved a collective sigh of relief. Pyronica dropped 8-Ball, but gave him a look that promised retribution at a later date.

Bill grabbed a bottle of rum and swaggered over to wear Dipper and Tad were sitting, “I see you’re getting acquainted with our newest crew member. Hope he’s not filling your head with slander Pine Tree.”

Dipper couldn’t help but grin, it may have just been the rum, but Bill’s smiles were pretty contagious, “He was just explaining your nicknaming system to me.”

“Oh yeah?” Bill asked, “He tell you his?”

“No?” Dipper said.

Bill’s face grew into the largest grin Dipper had ever seen, “Well in _that_ case-”

“You know I think I ought to go check on the…the thing!” Tad said, suddenly looking very uncomfortable.

“The thing?” Bill asked, feigning ignorance to the discomfort he was causing. Tad had already bolted though, and Bill laughed, “Oh that never gets old.”

Dipper laughed a bit, glad that his nickname wasn’t as bad as…whatever Tad had been saddled with.

“So what do you think of the crew so far?” Bill asked, studying Dipper closely. Dipper quickly looked away and took another swig of rum, hoping Bill wouldn’t notice his blush.

“I think you’re all completely insane, and it’s a miracle that this ship functions at all,” He said, and Bill nearly fell over he was laughing so hard, “Why is that so funny to you?”

“Because you’re so blunt about everything,” Bill said, a huge grin plastered to his face, “You’re completely aware of how dangerous we are, but you don’t filter at all!”

Dipper gave a sheepish look and rubbed the back of his neck, “Guess that’s not the wisest thing I could be doing.”

“I think it’s refreshing,” Bill said, tipping his hat before getting up to chat with the rest of the crew. Dipper watched the rest of them for a bit, laughing at their antics, but without someone to talk to his thoughts kept going back to Mabel.

He slipped out of the galley and made his way to the deck of the ship, breathing in the clean air. It was a lovely night, and he found himself leaning against the railing, watching the stars. He looked for the Ursa Minor, he liked knowing it was up there, it always made him feel like someone was looking out for him. As he watched he saw a shooting star, and he remembered when he and Mabel were little and they made wishes on them.

“Star light, star bright, the first star I see tonight; I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight,” Dipper said, the words came as easily as they ever did, and it seemed like just yesterday that he and Mabel were sitting on the window seat of their room, searching for stars to wish on, “I hope you’re alright.”

“Isn’t it a little childish to wish on shooting stars?” Dipper jumped at the voice, turning to see Bill.

“How long have you been there?” Dipper asked, suddenly embarrassed. He could feel his cheeks heat up and he cursed his blush.

Bill shrugged and leaned against the rail next to him, tilting his head to look at the stars, “Not long. So what’d you wish for?”

Dipper looked down to the sea, “My sister, Mabel.”

He could feel Bill’s gaze on him, “Don’t worry kid, we’ll find your Shooting Star. I promise.”

Dipper looked up and met Bill’s gaze, his face had softened, and he looked sincere, “Thank you.”

Bill smiled at him, and Dipper noticed for the first time that the man wasn’t wearing his captain’s hat. His hair was blonde, and it looked very soft. Dipper wanted to run his fingers through it. He shook his head, as if the motion would banish the thought. He was definitely drunker than he’d thought.

“What happened to your hat?” he asked, and Bill looked startled for a minute, he clearly hadn’t noticed its absence.

“Now that is a very good question,” Bill said, frowning, “I’m gonna have to investigate that. But you better turn in kid, we’ve got a lot of work to do before we get to Tortuga, and you’ll want to be well rested for that.”

Dipper headed back into the bowls of the ship, and down to the hammock he’d been assigned earlier. He hadn’t even realized how tired he was until then, and he was very glad to get some proper rest.

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

“Rise and shine, Pine Tree!” Dipper was unceremoniously dumped from his hammock, he landed with solid thump and he knew he’d have a bruise later. He looked up and glared at 8-Ball, who was responsible for his rude awakening.

The man shrugged, and Dipper got up and headed to the galley for breakfast. He had a slight hangover, but he supposed it could have been worse.

“Pine Tree!” Dipper turned to see Bill walking up to him a mischievous glint in his eyes. There was another man behind him, a dark skinned fellow with buck teeth that Dipper hadn’t spoken to before, “I’d like you to meet Kryptos, he’s going to teach how this ship is run. Stick by him and you might just survive long enough to see Tortuga!”

Bill clapped his shoulder, leaving Dipper alone with his new teacher.


	6. We're Havana Good Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First and foremost I'd like to apologize for that pun. I'm fully aware of how terrible it is, but it was the best title I could think of. I'm actually the worst at titles.
> 
> Anyway! The song mentioned in this chapter is The Parting Glass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RruqZUSWxcE 
> 
> And thanks again to everyone who reviewed, left kudos, or bookmarked the story. I love hearing from you guys, and it means a lot to know you're enjoying this story!

By the time Havana had come into view, Mabel was starting to feel like a real pirate. Her fingers had become calloused, she’d gotten used to having a pistol hanging at her hip, and she’d discovered the best way to tie a bandana to keep her hair out of her face. She hadn’t quite mastered sword play yet, but she’d memorized all the parts of the ship and she had an idea of how to work the rigging, which was good progress according to Wendy.

“Woah,” Mabel was speechless as they pulled into port at Havana, she’d never seen anything like it. The city sprawled out far enough that she couldn’t see the end of it, and there was far more vegetation than she would have expected a city to have, “It’s so green!”

“This is nothing,” Candy said, “Just wait until you see Haiti, it is gorgeous there.”

“I like Europe better,” Grenda said, “It’s too hot down here.”

“Well it’s the coolest city I’ve ever seen,” Mabel said, “Though I’ve never seen any city besides Jamestown.”

“You girls gonna help us dock or are you just gonna stand around complimenting the scenery all day?” Wendy hollered at them, and the three friends scrambled to get back to work. It wasn’t too difficult when you had someone to show you what to do, though Mabel knew she’d be lost without Candy and Grenda showing her which ropes to grab or Wendy’s lessons on which knots to tie.

Soon the ship was docked, and Mabel was bouncing with excitement at the prospect of exploring the port. Grunkle Stan had given her a bit of gold so that she could buy herself some proper fitting clothes, and Wendy had promised to check every tavern and every ship for news of Dipper.

“Are we all set then?” Mabel asked, giving Wendy her best I’m-cute-so-give-me-what-I-want face. Many of her crewmates were gathered on deck as well, waiting for the go ahead to leave the ship. She could only hope that the numbers would sway Wendy in her favor.

Unfortunately Wendy just laughed, “Sorry Mabel, but that’s up to the captain, not me.”

Mabel sighed, trying to look as disappointed as possible. Wendy clearly recognized the ploy, because she just laughed again. Mabel wandered back over to where Candy and Grenda were, the two in a heated discussion about swords.

“The rapier is infinitely more elegant than the broadsword,” Candy was saying, “It’s faster and lighter, and generally just easier to maneuver.”

“Maybe, but the broadsword has more power to it,” Grenda said, “It may be heavier, but it’s also stronger and lets you put more force into your strikes.”

“So what are you guys gonna do while we’re in port?” Mabel asked, trying to move the conversation onto something she could partake in. Or at least understood.

“We’ll be going straight to the tavern,” Grenda said, grinning.

“Really?” Mabel asked, “What’s at the tavern that you can’t get here?”

“Cute boys!” Candy said, her eyes lighting up, and suddenly everything made sense.

“Oh! I completely forgot about boys!” Mabel said, “It’s been ages since I’ve flirted with _anyone_.”

“Then you _have_ to come with us!” Grenda said, “We’ll get you back into the swing of things.”

“Ok!” Mabel said, “But I have to get new clothes first. What tavern are you going to be at?”

“Hmmm, how about Bilbao?” Candy said.

“Sounds good to me,” Grenda said.

“It’s right off the docks,” Candy said, “And it’s a popular bar for sailors, so if you get lost you shouldn’t have a problem getting directions.”

“Then I’ll meet you there as soon as I’m done shopping,” Mabel said, “Well, actually I might change first, but I’ll be quick!”

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

Bilbao was just as easy to find as Candy had said it would be, and now that Mabel was wearing an outfit that actually fit her she was ready to get back out there and learn how to flirt again. Mabel entered the crowded tavern and scanned the crowd, surprised to see so many navy sailors. She eventually spotted Candy and Grenda sitting at a table in the back, then began weaving through the crowd to them. She couldn’t help but hum along to the music of the band, though she didn’t know the tune.

“There you are!” Candy said, “We were starting to worry you’d gotten lost.”

“Nah, I was just having trouble deciding what to get,” Mabel said, taking a seat, “There are so many shops here, I didn’t even know where to start!”

“Well now that you’re here, it’s time to pick a target!” Grenda said, gesturing to the room full of sailors.

“Just be careful of the navy boys,” Candy said, “They can be clingy.”

Mabel scanned the room, looking for someone suitably attractive. However her search was interrupted when a plump young man with white hair in a captain’s uniform rose and began tapping on his glass, gaining the attention of the room.

“Men, I’d like to thank you all for joining me tonight,” he said, “And I know that this was meant to be a night of jubilation, but I’m afraid I simply can’t go another minute without honoring the sweet young lady we’d come here to meet. So I ask you now for a moment of silence, in honor my late fiancé, Mabel Pines, may she rest in peace.”

Mabel froze, and Candy and Grenda turned back to look at her with eyes the size of platters. Mabel gave them a helpless shrug and sunk into her seat, was that really Gideon? She’d never seen a picture of him, has he seen one of her? She knew her father had miniatures of her and Dipper, but had he shown them off? Even if he’d seen a picture of her, would he be able to recognize her now? And how long was he planning to talk about her “death”?

“To Mabel Pines,” said a white eyed man next to Gideon, breaking the silence, “And all the brave souls who perished on _The Diviner_.”

There was a resounding sound of people toasting her name, and then the band began to play a slow tune.

_Oh all the money, that e’er I spent_

_I spent it in good company_

“Mabel, that’s your fiancé?” Grenda asked, a bit too loudly for Mabel’s liking.

“Keep your voice down,” Mabel hissed, sinking ever further into her chair, “And yes, I guess that’s him? I’ve never seen him before, remember? And he’s not my fiancé anymore!”

“But he doesn’t know that,” Candy said, “He thinks you are dead! Surely you won’t leave him thinking that.”

“Wouldn’t that be better though?” Mabel asked, “Surely that would hurt less?”

_So fill to me the parting glass_

_Good night, and joy be with you all_

_Oh all the comrades, that e’er I had_

_Are sorry for my going away_

“No!” Candy said, “Well okay, technically yes, but he’ll never be able to move past you if you leave him this way.”

Mabel bit her lip, she _really_ didn’t want to talk to Gideon, though it was for selfish reasons more than concern for him. What if he tried to make her go with him? Or hung the crew of _El Misterio_ for piracy?

“Mabel,” Grenda said, “You should do right by this boy.”

“Bleh, fine!” Mabel said, rising as the song ended, “But if something happens it’s on your heads!” Mabel made her way to the crowd, nervously approaching Gideon’s table, “You’re Captain Gideon Gleeful, right?”

“Yes ma’am,” he said, not looking up from his table. It really was a pitiful sight, “I suppose you’re here to offer condolences as well?”

“Er, not quite,” she said, shifting nervously. He looked up at her, and recognition sparked. So he _had_ seen her portrait then.

“M-mabel? You’re alive!” he jumped up, and the joy almost crushed her, “How? Your ship-“

“It sunk, yes,” She said, cutting him off, “A passing ship pulled me out of the wreckage. But that’s not what I came to tell you,” she took a breath, as he looked at her with baited breath, “I’ve decided that I can’t marry you, it’s nothing personal, I just can’t go through with something I had no say in.”

He just smiled at her, “Oh darling that’s just cold feet. You’re just shook up from the wreck is all. Now who do I have to thank for saving you?”

Mabel frowned, was he purposefully not listening to her? “Gideon I don’t think you understand what I’m saying, this isn’t just cold feet. I simply refuse to go through with an arranged marriage, and I don’t care what my father says, I will _not_ be bullied into marrying a man I do not love.”

“Oh Mabel, no one loves the people they marry,” Gideon said, as if he were explaining a very simple concept to a child, “That’s something that grows over time. Now why don’t we go back to _The Telepathy_? I need to write to your father and tell him you’re-”

“No Gideon,” she said, “I’m not going with you, not to _The Telepathy_ , not anywhere. I joined a crew and I’ll stand by them. I just felt I should do right by you and tell you so. Now if you’ll excuse me I’ll be heading back to my ship.”

And with that she left the bar, breaking into a sprint as soon as she made it outside. She wouldn’t feel safe until she was back on board _El Misterio_.


	7. Tortuga

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so this chapter has another song! Great Song of Indifference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_TIwetmKz8

Dipper had never felt as relieved as he did when _Mentis_ was successfully docked in Tortuga’s harbor. Kryptos was the most skittish person Dipper had ever worked with, and he freaked out over every mistake Dipper made, no matter how small. Dipper was glad to be free of him, even if it was only for a night or two.

“Welcome to Tortuga Pine Tree,” Bill wrapped his arm around his shoulder, “A pirate’s paradise.”

“It’s kind of run down, don’t you think?” as far as Dipper could see there was not a single building that appeared to be structurally sound. Everything was hobbled together in a rather haphazard way, as if the town had been built in the course of the day. Many of the buildings had music coming from them, and he could hear shouting from almost everywhere. Which he supposed explained why Bill and his crew were so excited to be there, the group practically fed off of chaos.

“Don’t let your eyes deceive you kid,” Bill said, a lopsided grin on his face, “I know it doesn’t look like much from out here, but once you get inside you’ll see what I mean. Now come on, we’re going to the North West Tavern.”

Dipper followed Bill off the ship, sticking as close as possible to the older man. As far as Dipper could tell this was the worst place to walk unarmed into, yet Bill had refused to give him so much as a dagger to defend himself with, “Sorry Pine Tree, but I just don’t trust you not to run off.”

The North West Tavern was a ramshackle building that sat on the edge of the island, and looked as though it could fall off at any time, “Are you sure this place is safe?”

“Define safe,” Bill said, “Because this is a pirate bar we’re walking into.”

“I was thinking structure wise, and I don’t even want to know what you’re implying there,” Dipper said, frowning at the same time that Bill smiled.

“Oh! Well it’s a perfectly sound structure, don’t you worry about that,” Bill said, opening the door and leading the way in, “As for anything else, just stick with me and you’ll be fine.”

Dipper had never seen quite so many people in one place, and he wondered how so many had managed to fit into such a small space. There was a bar against one wall, being run by a harried looking woman and two girls, and a stage on the opposite wall, though it was empty at the moment.

“Oi! Priscilla!” Bill called, and the woman tending bar looked up and smiled at him, “I’ll need rum for me and the crew!”

“Coming right up,” she said, “Pacifica, could you bring up another barrel?”

“Yes ma’am,” said a girl with long blonde hair, she looked a lot like Priscilla, and Dipper wondered if they were related.

“It’s good to see you again Cipher,” Priscilla said, as she passed him two mugs, one of which he gave to Dipper, “I was starting to think you’d forgotten about this fine establishment. Rosie’s been worried sick.”

“Why I’d never forget about this place, you’ve got the best liquor in the whole Caribbean,” Bill said, “But speaking of, where is Song Bird?”

“Drinking,” said a dark skinned girl in a red dress, “That Jackson boy went and broke her ‘eart, just like you said ‘e would.”

“He still in town?” Bill asked, in a tone that made Dipper nervous, “I’d love to have a word with him.”

“Ha! That boy sailed off as soon as he got caught cheating, didn’t even have the decency to say goodbye,” Priscilla said, disdain clear in her voice, “Isabella why don’t you go tell her Cipher’s back, if that don’t get her up we’ve lost her for good.”

Isabella dashed into a back room, just as Pacifica came back with a barrel that was twice her size, and Dipper gaped at her, “What are you staring at?” she snapped, a glare fixed on her face.

“Nothing, sorry I just-” Dipper was cut off by a shout from the back room.

“Captain Bill Cipher you scurvy dog!” a very angry girl about Dipper’s age came storming out. She had dark red hair cut in a bob, and was very obviously drunk.

“ _Three_ _days_ we’ve been trying to get her up, and just his _name_ gets her?” grumbled a man who came out with Isabella.

“Song Bird!” Bill grinned, seemingly unperturbed by her anger, “Don’t suppose you’ve got enough sobriety left to play a song or two for me and my friend here? It’s his first time in Tortuga you know.”

She glared at him, then glanced at Dipper. She eyed him for a minute, then turned around and went back into the room, the man following her back with a sigh. Priscilla sighed, but Bill grinned knowingly at her, “I’m gonna go clear a table for the crew, they’ll be along shortly.”

Dipper followed Bill as he walked through the crowd towards a long table at the front of the stage, he drew himself up to his full height and cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the current occupants. They took one look at Bill before bolting, practically tripping over themselves in their haste to get away. Dipper wondered why they were so afraid of him, but then decided he didn’t want to know.

He took a seat next to Bill, “So do you think Rosie will play for us? She seemed pretty upset with you.”

“Nah, she’s just mad I haven’t been here in so long,” Bill said, “But she’ll play. She always writes music when she’s drunk, she won’t miss the opportunity to play it. She’ll have the band out here in no time.”

As he spoke the rest of the crew filed in, and Bill waved them over. As soon as they were seated Isabella and Pacifica came over with enough mugs for all of them, and Bill passed the girls a few coins. Then the band came out of the back room, just as Bill had predicted. The tavern grew quiet as they took the stage, there were four of them in all. Rosie had a violin, the man from earlier a guitar, another man with an accordion, and a third with some drums. Rosie took center stage and on her cue they began to play an upbeat tune.

_I don’t mind if you go, I don’t mind if you take it slow, don’t mind if you say yes or no, I don’t mind at all_. _I don’t care if you live or die, Could care less if you laugh or cry, I don’t mind if you crash your flight, I don’t mind at all. I don’t mind if you come or go, I don’t mind if you say no, Couldn’t care less baby let it flow, cause I don’t care at all!_

Dipper now understood why her nickname was Song Bird, she was the most talented singer Dipper had ever heard, and her violin was impeccable. Dipper couldn’t help but wonder why she was playing in a place like this, when she could be preforming for kings and queens instead. He wondered if Bill was right about her writing the song. He smiled and tapped his foot along with the beat.

When the song ended Rosie hoped of the stage, but the other three just started another song without her, she walked right over to Bill and hugged him, “So what’d ya think?”

“I say it was the best song ever played,” he said, grinning and offering her a seat between him and Dipper, “Wouldn’t you say Pine Tree?”

Dipper nodded, “You’re very talented. It makes me wonder why you’re playing here, instead of in the royal court. You could if you wanted to.”

The whole table laughed at that, and Dipper was going to ask what was so funny when suddenly Rosie was very, _very_ close to him, “I play ‘ere because I like it. And I couldn’t just leave the Northwest’s, they’ve done more for me than anybody else ever did. ‘Sides, pirates are a lot of fun to spend a night with.”

Dipper shifted nervously, he didn’t know why he was suddenly so uncomfortable; he’d been close to people before, and there wasn’t anything particularly unpleasant about Rosie, but there was still something off-putting about her being so near him.

“Oh Song Bird, I almost forgot, I have a request for you,” Bill interrupted, Rosie pulled away and Dipper tried to keep his relief from showing too much.

“Anything for you Cipher,” Rosie said.

“See, Pine Tree here has a sister, Shooting Star,” Bill said, “They were sailing on _The Diviner_ when it sunk, and he’s been worried sick about it. So I was hoping you could keep an eye out for her?”

“Of course! What’s she look like? Actually wait, let me get Pacifica and Isabella first, I’m sure they’d like to help too,” Rosie left the table and made her way back to the bar.

Bill slid closer to him, speaking just above a whisper so that the rest of the crew couldn’t hear, “You got a problem with Song Bird kid?”

“I don’t have a problem with her,” Dipper said, “I just don’t care to get involved with anyone. Right now the only girl I care about is Mabel.”

Bill snorted, “She’s not looking to get involved with ya, she’s looking for a night of fun. Surely you can quit the concerned brother act for one night?”

Dipper shifted again, avoiding Bill’s gaze.

“Unless you’re just not interested in women at all?” Bill said, and Dipper didn’t need to look at the man’s face to know he was smirking.

“Alright, so who’s this Shooting Star girl?” Pacifica asked, and Dipper was relieved to end his conversation with the captain. Instead he told the girls everything he could remember about Mabel, right down to the dress she’d been wearing that day. When he finished the girls went back to work, and his glass had been filled again.

“Don’t you worry kid,” Bill said, “We’ll find your sister eventually. In the meantime, we’re celebrating.”

 “Celebrating what?” Dipper asked.

“Being alive? You joining the crew? Reaching Tortuga? Take your pick Pine Tree,” Bill said, knocking back his glass and finishing his drink, “But this is by far the best place to celebrate in the Caribbean, so I’ll be damned if we leave here without celebrating something.”

The rest of the crew gave staggered responses of agreement, and Dipper decided that he didn’t much care to be the only one not drunk of his ass. So he took another swig of rum and did his best to ignore the horrifying threats Pyronica was making to 8-Ball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh and in case my descriptions didn't jog your memories of season one, Isabella and Rosie are intended to be Pacifica's little minion friends. I don't normally spend too much time on descriptions, so I wanted to make sure that was clear.


	8. Let it Go

Mabel had barely slept that night for fear that Gideon would find the ship. Wendy and Grunkle Stan weren’t on board when she go back, and by the time Wendy came stumbling into their shared cabin that night she was far too drunk to be of any use. When she did manage to fall asleep her dreams were haunted by the corpses of the crew, swinging from the gallows and watching her with dead eyes. By the time the sun rose she’d abandoned all thoughts of sleep, and was ready for the day’s work.

She left the cabin, and just breathing in the fresh air made her feel better. She wondered if Grunkle Stan was up yet, old people got up early right? She started to make her way over to his cabin, but then she heard a familiar voice down on docks and her heart dropped into her stomach.

“I don’t care how tired you are! I know she’s on one of these ships and we’re not resting until we find her!” Mabel ducked low, peering over the side of the boat to confirm her fears. Gideon was standing there with a group of Navy sailors, and she ducked again as his eyes flicked up to scan the ships.

“Shit,” she whispered, trying to stay low as she ran over to the door that led to Stan’s cabin, “Grunkle Stan! Grunkle Stan we have a problem!”

Grunkle Stan was sitting at his desk in his underclothes, a piece of bread halfway between his mouth and his plate, “What are you going on about?”

“Gideon’s looking for me!” Mabel said, “I didn’t think he would, but I guess he was really upset about me breaking off the engagement-”

“Calm down!” Stan said, getting up and walking into his bedroom, “Does he know you’re here?”

“Uh, I don’t think so,” Mabel said, “Oh but he might have seen me when I was on deck! What if he saw me? What if he hangs everyone? What if-”

“Will you calm down!” Stan said, and he came back into the office, now fully clothed, “Go get Wendy up, I’ll make sure everyone’s on board and then we’ll go, okay?”

Mabel breathed a sigh of relief, “Okay. I’ll go get Wendy.”

She left the office and ran as fast as she could back to her cabin, “Wendy! Wendy we’ve got to go!”

Wendy groaned and threw a pillow at her, “Mabel it is _way_ too early to be awake. Go back to bed.”

Mabel frowned and pulled Wendy’s blanket off the bed, “Wendy we _need to go_! Gideon’s down in the docks right now searching ships.”

That got Wendy up, “Shit,” she said, pulling her boots on, “Is everyone on board?”

“I don’t know, Grunkle Stan was checking that,” Mabel said, “What do we do?”

“We get the ship ready to leave,” Wendy said, “Come on, we’ve got to pull up the gangplank.”

Mabel followed Wendy back up the deck, though she regretted it immediately, “Why if it isn’t Mabel Pines! I thought I’d seen you peaking over the side of the ship!”

“Can we help you sir?” Wendy asked, stepping in front of Mabel. Gideon had come alone, but Mabel was still afraid of what he could do.

“Well yes actually, my name’s Gideon Gleeful, captain of _The Telepathy_ , and that young lady behind me is my fiancé,” Gideon said, “I just came to pick her up and thank ya’ll for taking care of her for me, so if you don’t mind we’ll just be on our way.”

“No,” Mabel said, and she just felt really angry all of the sudden. Why wasn’t this guy listening to her? “I already told you Gideon, I don’t want to marry you! And you can’t make me!”

“Mabel, darling, I know this ordeal has been very stressful, so I don’t blame you for letting your nerves get the better of you,” Gideon walked towards her, taking her hand, “But I promise if you just come with me-”

“Let go of my niece!” Grunkle Stan said, Soos and some of the other crew members with him, “She’s not gonna marry you, so leave her alone and move on with your life.”

“Stanford Pines, how nice to meet you!” Gideon said, “I’ve heard a lot about you and your crew, I only wish I could say it was all good things. But I’d be willing to say, _overlook_ , those past transgressions, if only you’d just return my darling Mabel to me. What do ya say?”

Stan looked thoughtful for a moment, and Mabel froze. He wouldn’t make her go with Gideon would he? He stepped towards Gideon and threw an arm around the younger man’s shoulder, steering him towards the edge of the ship, “You drive a hard bargain Gideon, and if it were anyone else I might actually take that offer. But Mabel’s family, so I just couldn’t ever do that to her.”

Gideon looked as though he was about to explode in anger, but before he could Stan had pushed him over the side of the boat. There was a splash, and Mabel ran to the edge of the boat. She didn’t like Gideon, but she didn’t want him dead either. However it only took a minute for his head to pop up out of the water.

“You’ll hang for that Pines!” He shouted, “You’re whole crew’ll hang!”

“Quit standing around!” Wendy said, her voice drowning out Gideon’s threats, “We’ve gotta go, so move your asses!”

Mabel ran to help Soos pull up the gang plank, then she made her way into the rigging to help lower the sails. She could hear the anchor being raised, and then they were off. She walked to edge of the boat and watched as Havana grew smaller. Gideon was on the docks now, his men had pulled him out of the water.

“I won’t forget this Stan Pines!” he shouted, “I will have my revenge!”

The wind snatched the rest of his words away, and Mabel could only hope that she’d never see him again. She wandered down to the galley, she hadn’t had breakfast yet and she was starving.

“Mabel!” Candy was waving her over, and Mabel smiled as she walked over to her and Grenda, “We just wanted to say, we’re sorry for making you talk to Gideon. If we hadn’t been so pushy-”

“It’s okay guys,” Mabel said, “You couldn’t have known he was so crazy.”

“So you’re not mad?” Grenda asked, looking relieved.

“Not at all!” Mabel said, “And honestly? I’d just like to forget that he exists.”

“Then we shall never bring it up again,” Candy said, and the three girls hugged before digging into breakfast.

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

After breakfast Mabel had gone to see Grunkle Stan, and found him looking over a map with Wendy, “Mabel! How much do you know about map reading?”

“Not a thing!” Mabel said cheerfully, and Stan groaned.

“We need a new navigator Stan,” Wendy said, “Otherwise we’re gonna get lost at sea.”

“I know!” Stan said, “I had just been hoping we’d find Dipper in Havana.”

“Where are we trying to go anyway?” Mabel asked, leaning on the desk to look at the map. As expected, it made absolutely no sense.

“Well that’s what we’re trying to decide,” Wendy said, “We need to keep looking for your brother, and the most likely way to find him is to go to popular ports. I recommended Tortuga, but Stan says Port Royal.”

“Well what’s the difference?” Mabel asked, looking for the names on the map.

“Tortuga is closer, and we won’t see any Bluecoats there,” Wendy said, “And if Dipper was picked up by pirates, he’ll turn up in Tortuga eventually.”

“But Port Royal will have more than just pirates,” Stan said, “And is generally a more pleasant place to be.”

“But we might be able to find a navigator in Tortuga,” Wendy countered, “It’s the best place there is to find a crew.”

“But if Dipper wasn’t picked up by a pirate ship going there would be a complete waste of time,” Stan said.

“Can’t we go to both?” Mabel asked, “I mean we have to pass Tortuga to get to Port Royal anyway right? Surely it wouldn’t hurt to stop by really quickly? We wouldn’t even have to stay the night. Please Grunkle Stan?”

She gave him her best begging look, and Wendy joined in, “Ugh fine! We’ll go to Tortuga! Now just go, swab the deck or something!”

Mabel grinned and hugged him, “Thank you Grunkle Stan!”

“Yeah, whatever,” he grumbled, but he returned her hug.


	9. Don't Drink With Pirates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING this chapter contains some sorta sexual stuff. Nothing that would push it past a T rating, which I'm equating to a PG 13 movie, but if you'd rather not read any of it just skip to the XoXoXoXoX marker, everything after that is safe and you won't miss anything important!
> 
> Anyway I hope you enjoy it, because it took me three days to swallow my embarrassment long enough to write this. Which is pathetic, I know.
> 
> Oh and thanks again to everyone who left kudos, commented, bookmarked, or really just interacted with this story! It means a lot to me! <3

Dipper swayed as he tried to stand up, and probably would have fallen over if not for Bill’s arm around his shoulder. Though as the two staggered out of the North West Tavern it became clear that Bill was only slightly less drunk than Dipper was. How they made it back to the ship at all would forever be a mystery.

Bill steered them to his quarters, though Dipper wasn’t really aware of it until Bill had pulled him onto his bed, “I should head back,” Dipper said, trying to stand but falling over.

“You should stay,” Bill said, “You’re too drunk to make it to the crew’s cabins.”

“You’re just as drunk as I am!” Dipper said, but he couldn’t stop himself from laughing. He staggered as he tried to stand again, but he was determined to reach the door.

“I am perfectly capable of holding my liquor,” Bill said, “You on the other hand, are a mess. Sit down before you break something.”

Dipper turned and let out a very unmanly squeak, Bill was pulling his shirt off, “What are you doing?”

“Getting ready for bed?” Bill looked at him curiously, and then mischief sparked in his golden eyes, “Like what you see?”

Dipper flushed and turned to face the wall, “S-sorry, I didn’t mean-”

His voice hitched as he felt Bill behind him, “No need to apologize, I don’t mind.”

Bill held Dipper by the waist and pulled him back to the bed, laughing when Dipper squeaked again, “You’re cute when you’re flustered.”

Dipper bit his lip, “You’re drunk.”

“Only a little,” Bill said, pressing his lips to Dipper’s neck. Dipper shivered involuntarily, and Bill’s lips curled into a smile, “You should really stay here tonight though, I’d hate for you to get hurt trying to get back.”

“Fine,” Dipper sighed, then yelped as Bill pulled him down onto the bed, “Stop doing that!”

“Doing what?” Bill asked, leaning over him. Dipper was suddenly very aware of the way Bill was pressed against him, and he averted his gaze again.

“Pulling me around,” Dipper said, clinging to his anger like a shield, “I’m not a rag doll.”

“Funny, I thought you liked it,” Bill smirked as he properly straddled Dipper. Dipper’s heart was pounding as Bill toyed with the hem of his shirt, “You weren’t planning to sleep in this were you?”

He didn’t wait for Dipper’s response, instead just pushing the garment up and over Dipper’s head. He traced patterns across Dipper’s skin, and he let his eyes slip closed. It was a nice feeling, just having Bill’s hands on him.

 His eyes popped open when he felt Bill’s lips meet his own, though he let them flutter closed again as he melted into the kiss. Bill kissed down his jawline, stopping at his neck to suck and bite. Dipper let out a moan, and he could feel Bill’s body shake with laughter. Dipper ran his hands through Bill’s hair, it really was as soft as it looked. Bill kissed him again, biting his lip to force his mouth open. Dipper was happy to comply though, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of being kissed senseless. Bill tasted like rum and sea salt and something else that Dipper couldn’t place, it was a strange combination but he loved it.

Bill rocked his hips against him, and Dipper moaned again, “You make lovely sounds Pine Tree.”

Bill slipped his hand lower, and Dipper was no longer capable of forming coherent responses. Bill nipped at his neck, and Dipper swore his heart was beating so fast it was going to jump right out of his chest.

He let his hands wander from Bill’s hair, lightly running his nails down his back. Bill grinded against him again, and Dipper dug his nails into his back. Bill moaned in response, and Dipper had never heard a sound so perfect.

He dragged his nails back up to the man’s neck, delighting in the sounds that followed.

“Careful Pine Tree,” Bill growled, “Keep that up and I might start losing control. No telling what I’ll do to you then.”

Dipper brushed his lips against Bill’s ear, his voice barely more than a whisper, “Good.”

Bill was smiling when Dipper pulled his head back, his gold eyes darkened with lust. He kissed him again, and dug his own nails into Dipper’s hip, making him gasp, “You’re _mine_ Pine Tree.”

They didn’t talk much after that.

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

Dipper woke up because he was cold. He didn’t want to be awake though, because he was in the most comfortable bed ever. But he was definitely cold, so he reluctantly opened his eyes and was hit by his hangover. It surely could have been worse, but he still ached everywhere. Especially between his legs and his neck.

That’s when the memories of the previous night came back to him, and he felt his face heating up when he thought about what he and Bill had done. No wonder he was so sore. He looked around for Bill, but the man was nowhere to be found. However there was a note on the bedside for him.

_Pine Tree, I need you to plot a course to Kingston, Jamaica. Everything you need should be on my desk, I’ll be back to check on your progress later._

It wasn’t signed, but Dipper knew it was from Bill. He started gathering up his clothes, his pants were at the foot of the bed, but he didn’t know where Bill had thrown his shirt. He passed a mirror by the wash basin and did a double take at the massive bruise that covered his neck.

“Dammit Bill,” he grumbled, finally spotting his shirt, it’d somehow gotten thrown under the bed. He wandered out of the bedroom and into Bill’s study. As promised, there were maps and star charts waiting on the desk, as well as a compass and a sextant. Dipper’s stomach growled at him, but since this was his first assigned job on board _Mentis_ he decided food could wait, and set to work on finding the quickest route to Kingston.

As he worked he could hear the rest of the crew waking up, and then something that could possibly be defined as singing, but reminded _him_ a bit more of shouting.

_We are outward bound for Kingston town_

_With a heave-o haul!_

_An’ we’ll heave the ol’ wheel around an’ around_

_Good mornin’ ladies all!_

Dipper wondered how long they were planning to keep that up. Sea shanties had a lot of verses, and he was fairly certain that the crew would make up new ones whenever they ran out. He didn’t mind the racket as much when he was doing the work with them, but navigating required absolute concentration. His stomach growled again, and Dipper wondered if he would get in trouble for taking a break to get food. After all, it _would_ help his ability to plot a course.

His thoughts of breakfast were interrupted when Bill and Tad walked into the room, with food no less.

“Glad to see you’re up and about Pine Tree,” Bill said, setting the plate in front of him. Dipper wasted no time in tearing into it, “How’s the route going?”

Dipper swallowed a mouthful of bread, “Shouldn’t take me much longer to finish, just a few more calculations and we’ll be good to go.”

Bill grinned, “Excellent!”

Dipper finished his breakfast, and then noticed that Tad had been staring at him, “What?”

Tad raised an eyebrow, “I was just wondering what happened to your neck.”

Dipper’s hand flew to his neck, face flushing again, he’d forgotten about the mark Bill had left him with.

“He fell down trying to get up the gangplank,” Bill answered, “He’s lucky I was with him, or he would have gone overboard. Poor kid couldn’t handle his liquor.”

Dipper wondered why Bill was lying, especially with such a poor excuse, but he supposed the captain had a good reason so he tried his best to go along with it, “You were just as drunk as I was.”

There were some details he wouldn’t compromise on though. Especially where his pride was involved.

“Whatever you need to tell yourself Pine Tree,” Bill said, “Just work with your maps. We’ll be on deck when you finish.”

Then they left. Dipper was a little disappointed, he’d wanted to talk to Bill about what had happened last night. He supposed he could wait a little bit longer though, business before pleasure right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh and here's the song the crew was singing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW99b9CyXHI


	10. Good News and Bad News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really underestimated how difficult writing would be without a reliable source of caffine, I don't think I've written more than a few paragraphs since I got home. Lucky for you all I'm ahead of the game, thanks to the coffee binge I had while trying to use up my meal plan. 
> 
> Hope you all are enjoying the holiday break, and that you enjoy these next two chapters! And as always, thanks to everyone who reviewed, left kudos, and/or bookmarked this story. You're the best!

After the sprawling green city of Havana, Tortuga looked especially underwhelming. It was a ramshackle town, and the whole place had a rather unpleasant smell that Mabel couldn’t quite identify. However Wendy had been right when she said there would be no navy sailors. Or any other kind of law enforcement for that matter.

“Make sure your pistol is loaded,” Grunkle Stan said as he left, “And even if you can’t use it, take a sword. Not a fancy one though, that’ll get you mugged.”

Stan was going to find a navigator, while Mabel and Wendy searched the taverns for news of Dipper, though Wendy had insisted they split up after Stan had left, “Some of the places I need to check are pretty seedy, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable taking you there. Just visit all the taverns along the docks, and ask for news about survivors from _The Diviner._ Don’t mention any names though, and don’t tell them who you’re looking for unless they have information.”

So now Mabel was walking from tavern to tavern, looking for news. She’d been to nearly every tavern along the docks and so far she’d gotten nothing but dead ends. She looked at the last one in dismay, it was a particularly unstable looking building called The North West Tavern. She entered, keeping her back to the wall as she scanned the open room. One end had a stage, where a band was playing a cheery drinking tune, and on the other was the bar.

She slipped over and tried to catch someone’s attention, she was hoping for the older woman who looked to be in charge of everything, but instead she got a blonde girl about her age, “Can I help you?”

“Er, I’m looking for some information-” she started, but the girl gave her a harsh look before cutting her off.

“Sorry, but I don’t give information out to people who aren’t paying customers,” she said, then turned on her heel and moved to serve someone else. Mabel sighed, she didn’t have any money because she’d been worried about being robbed. But she didn’t want to leave without asking _someone_ about her brother.

Her thoughts were interrupted by applause, the band had finished their song and seemed to be taking a break, she wondered if _they_ would talk to her and hesitantly made her way over.

“Er, excuse me?” she asked, and a girl with dark red hair turned to her, “Er, I was wondering if I could ask you for some information?”

The girl gave her a weird look, “You’re welcome to ask, but I can’t promise any answers.”

Mabel swallowed the lump in her throat, “Ok well, I was wondering if you’d heard about any survivors from _The Diviner_? I’m looking for someone that was on board.”

The girl’s eyes lit up with recognition, “Would that person, by any chance, happen to be your twin brother?”

Mabel’s eyes got big, and the girl grinned at her, “You’ve seen him?”

“He was in just a few days ago,” the girl said, “But we shouldn’t talk out here, follow me.”

Mabel followed the girl back to the bar, then through a door to the back room.

“Rosie what’re you doing?” The blonde girl glared at Mabel, and Mabel shifted uncomfortably.

“Pacifica, we found her,” Rosie said, still grinning, “This is Shooting Star!”

Pacifica’s eyes grew a bit in surprise, but there was still a strong dislike there, “I’ll get Isabella.”

She left the room, and Mabel turned to face Rosie, “Shooting Star?”

Rosie laughed a bit, “The captain your brother signed on with likes to give out nicknames, he calls me Song Bird, your brother is Pine Tree, and you’re Shooting Star. They never gave me your real name.”

“He signed on with a captain?” she frowned. Dipper was supposed to be signing on with Grunkle Stan. Then they were going to be pirates together, and everything would be perfect.

“Yep!” Rosie said cheerfully, “Captain Bill Cipher.”

Then Pacifica came back, with the girl who must have been Isabella in tow, “And you’re _sure_ this is her? Bill won’t be happy if we call him back and this isn’t her. Not to mention all the money it’ll cost to feed her, dad will blow a gasket if she’s the wrong girl.”

“I’m absolutely positive,” Rosie said, but Mabel’s attention had been caught by something else.

“Feed me?” she looked nervously between the three of them, “I already ate, you don’t have to feed me.”

Pacifica rolled her eyes, and Rosie snickered a bit, “But you’ll be hungry tomorrow, and every day after that until Bill can come pick you up. Which shouldn’t take more than a month, two tops, so don’t worry.”

Mabel couldn’t help but look at her like she’d grown a second head, “Woah wait, I’m not going to stay here waiting for some guy to _decide_ to pick me up. I can’t. I signed up to sail on _El Misterio_.”

“Wait, what?” Rosie looked confused, “But Pine Tree said you were engaged to some Navy captain.”

Mabel grimaced, “I was. But I broke it off.”

“You what?” Pacifica asked, looking personally offended, “Why would you ever do that? You could have had _anything_ from a guy like that! All the luxuries of the world would have been at your fingertips, and you decide to become a pirate instead?”

“I don’t love Gideon,” Mabel said, frowning, “Hell, I don’t even like him! I’d much rather be working hard with my friends than sitting around all alone.”

Pacifica looked annoyed, but she didn’t say anything. Just turned on her heel and left the room, followed by Isabella. Mabel didn’t understand why she was so upset, but she had more important things to worry about, “So where was Captain Cipher headed anyway? Did he mention?”

Rosie tapped her chin, trying to decide if she should tell her or not, “Kingston. They don’t have much of head start on you, Bill didn’t seem to be in a hurry, and I think he was planning to stay for a few days. So if you hurry, you might actually have a chance of catching him.”

Mabel grinned and Rosie, “Thank you!”

Then Mabel dashed out of the tavern, running back to _El Misterio_ at full speed. She couldn’t wait to tell everyone the good news. She now had confirmation that Dipper was alive, as well as a lead on where he was going next. She’d really never heard anything better. Though she was a bit disappointed to hear that he joined another crew, she was certain he’d leave as soon as he knew she was alive and waiting for him on _El Misterio_. Why wouldn’t he?

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

It was about two hours later that that Grunkle Stan and Wendy came back. Mabel had been pacing in his office for so long she was surprised there wasn’t an indentation in the floor. When the door opened she started talking so quickly that even _she_ couldn’t follow along with her words.

“Woah, Mabel, calm down,” Wendy said, a grin on her face, “We really can’t understand you when you’re talking at hyper speed.”

Mabel took a deep breath and began again, “Dipper’s alive, and he’s heading to Kingston.”

Wendy grinned from ear to ear, and Grunkle Stan gave a sort of smile, which was about as close to a full blown grin as he could get, “I’ll tell our new navigator.”

“Don’t worry, I heard _everything_!” a squat man with a thick mustache and big ears walked into the room, and Stan glared at him.

“Mabel, this is Toby,” he said, “Toby, get out of my office and start planning a course to Kingston.”

Toby left, or at least pretended to. Mabel had a sneaking suspicion that he was sitting outside the door trying to listen in again.

“So how’d you find out where Dipper’s going?” Wendy asked, taking a seat in front of Stan’s desk and propping her feet on it.

“Apparently the captain who fished him out of the sea is a fan of The North West Tavern, and he had them looking out for me. As soon as I mentioned _The Diviner_ they knew who I was,” Mabel said, though she frowned when she remembered the other thing Rosie had told her about Dipper, “Apparently he signed on with that captain though. But we can still get him back right?”

Stan looked thoughtful, “Depends on who it is, and what we have to offer in exchange. Did you get a name?”

“Yes,” Mabel answered immediately, “I don’t know the ship, but the captain is Bill Cipher.”

Stan swore, and Wendy fell out of her seat in shock, “WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING?”

Mabel was shocked at her uncle’s sudden outburst, and she was suddenly very nervous, “What’s wrong? Is Dipper going to be okay? What’s so bad about Cipher?”

“Mabel, Bill Cipher is the captain of _Mentis_ , the most dangerous pirate ship to ever sail,” Wendy said, “It’s a miracle he wasn’t killed the moment he was brought on board.”

Mabel paled, looking between the two of them for any kind of hope. But Wendy was terrified, and Stan had a look of fury the likes of which Mabel had never seen before.

“We need to get to Kingston,” he growled out, “Now.”


	11. Ignoring it is Bliss

It had been three days since they had left Tortuga, and Dipper was now absolutely positive that Bill was avoiding being alone with him. He hadn’t wanted to admit it at first, because the thought was fairly hurtful, but there was no denying it anymore. He wished he had someone to talk to about it, but he didn’t dare trust anyone in the crew with such sensitive information. Mabel would know what to do, she was an expert in all aspects of romance. Though she’d probably disapprove of having drunk sex with the most dangerous man to ever set sail in the Caribbean.

Dipper picked at his dinner and sighed. When he thought of it like that it almost seemed like a _good_ thing that Bill wanted to pretend it had never happened. Almost.

“Hey kid,” Pyronica said, and he snapped out of reprieve, “What’re you spacing out over?”

“Just thinking about my sister again,” he hoped that was close enough to the truth to placate her. Pyronica had a way of _knowing_ when you lied to her, though he didn’t know how she did it.

She looked at him a bit suspiciously, as if she didn’t quite believe him but wasn’t sure if it was worth pressing the issue or not, “You shouldn’t dwell on the past too much. You’ll miss out on the present!”

Dipper tried not to let his relief show, but he was glad that she’d decided not to invade his privacy, “I know, but I’m just worried about her is all.”

“As you should be!” Kryptos said from the other side of the table, “Sailors don’t see women very often, and depending on where she is she may not be so innocent when you see her again.”

Real fear coursed through Dipper at that, he hadn’t even thought about such a thing. But Kryptos was absolutely right, and Dipper suddenly felt new levels of terror for his sister, his own problems completely forgotten.

“Don’t say things like that!” Pyronica said, punching Kryptos with enough force that he fell out of his chair, “Poor Pine Tree is worried enough as it is, he doesn’t need your boundless supply of pessimism!”

“He’s not wrong though,” Xanthar chimed in, “Not every girl is as terrifying as you are.”

Pyronica threw a knife at him, he dodged it easily enough, but one of the newer crewmates that had been picked up in Tortuga was not so lucky.

Pyronica gasped, and she glared at Xanthar, “Now just look what you made me do!”

Xanthar shrugged, and Pyronica seethed, and Teeth was laughing so hard he’d fallen out of his chair, and was now lying on floor next to Kryptos. Dipper wasn’t sure how watching someone get a knife thrown into their arm was _funny_ , but he’d found it was easier to just ignore the madness of his shipmates. And really, once you got passed the violent outbursts and complete insanity, they weren’t _so_ bad. Plus it was hard to worry about other people when knives were being thrown around.

“I didn’t make you do anything,” Xanthar said, “You can’t blame me for your bad aim.”

Dipper would never understand why Xanthar pushed Pyronica over the edge every chance he got. Dipper had learned within his first two days that her temper was no laughing matter, that her nickname spouted from her pyromania, and that being on a wooden ship was in no way a deterrent from lighting things (and occasionally people) on fire.

Dipper may not have understood the man’s motivations, but he _did_ understand that whenever the two got into a fight, the best course of action was to back away slowly and find someone to use as a human shield. It wasn’t a tactic that he was particularly fond of, but since he also wasn’t particularly fond of being stabbed he was prepared to ignore his morality for however long it took for the fight to end.

Pyronica was shouting obscenities at Xanthar now, and Dipper saw that he wasn’t the only person who had noticed the impending danger. Xanthar however, was _not_ one of those people, and Dipper pushed his way to the back of the crowd, trying to get as far away as possible.

He found himself behind a very large man with dark skin, who he recognized as Pacifier, though he had absolutely no idea why he’d been given such a name. Dipper had never spoken to Pacifier, for the simple reason that he always looked as though he’d rip the arms off of anyone who dared try. It was for that reason that Dipper nearly jumped out of his skin when Pacifier turned to him, “Go tell the Captain.”

Dipper nodded and moved as fast as he could to the door. It took some shoving, but he managed to get out of the galley just as Pyronica pulled out her sword. He sighed, recognizing the severity of the fight. Pacifier was right, someone needed to tell the captain. Dipper _really_ didn’t want to see Bill again though, not if he was going to keep pretending that he hadn’t done anything that night in Tortuga.

Dipper heard some shouting in the galley, and his morality won out over stubbornness. So he went to Bill’s office and knocked on the door with as much urgency as he could muster.

“Come in,” Bill said, and Dipper opened the door to see Bill and Tad looking over some papers, “What can I do for you Pine Tree?”

“Pyronica and Xanthar are trying to kill each other in the galley again,” he said, awkwardly moving into the room, “One of the new crewmates got stabbed in the arm, and when I left Pyronica was drawing her sword. I just thought someone should tell you.”

“That sounds pretty serious,” Tad said, walking to the door before Bill could open his mouth to respond, “I’ll go check it out. I’m sure Pine Tree can help you finish up that paperwork.”

Then he was gone, and Dipper was left to stand awkwardly halfway between the door and the desk. Bill was staring at the door with a look of annoyance, then his eyes flicked to Dipper and there was a flash of nervousness, though it was only there for a moment before Bill’s grin was fixed in place again, “Right, well we were just finishing up inventory, trying to decide how much of everything we’ll need to pick up while in Kingston-”

“Why are you pretending nothing happened?” Dipper cut him off. Bill looked a bit like a deer trapped in the headlights, and if he wasn’t so hurt Dipper might have actually felt sorry for him.

“I’m not sure what you mean Pine Tree,” Bill said, though it was rather obvious to Dipper that Bill knew _exactly_ what he meant. But if Bill wanted him to be painfully clear, he certainly could.

“I’m talking about how you fucked my brains out in Tortuga and are now refusing to acknowledge it,” Dipper said, and his voice softened as he continued, “If you regret it or something I’m not going to be mad at you, I just want you to talk to me about it.”

“I don’t regret it,” Bill said, keeping his gaze trained on his paperwork, “But I don’t see why it needs to be discussed either. It was just sex kid.”

“Was it? It didn’t really seem that way,” Dipper said, moving closer and trying to catch Bill’s gaze when the man finally looked up.

“I was drunk, and so were you,” Bill said, “If you’re trying to put meaning behind some nonsense I said then you clearly don’t know much about how alcohol works.”

“Then why have you been avoiding me since it happened?” Dipper asked, Bill scoffed and Dipper frowned at him.

“I haven’t been avoiding you,” Bill said.

“Yes you have!” Dipper said, “I’ve barely seen you at all.”

“I’m your captain, not your nanny,” Bill sneered, “And I have more important things to do than hold your hand and walk you through how to do your damn job.”

“I know that,” Dipper said, trying to keep the hurt out of his voice, “But I thought we were friends.”

“I’m a lot of things Pine Tree. A liar, thief, cheat, conman, killer, and a whole slew of other nasty things,” Bill said, turning back to his paperwork, “But I’m nobody’s _friend_.”

“My mistake then,” Dipper said, focusing on keeping his voice steady, “It won’t happen again.”

Dipper turned around and left the office, he needed to get away from everyone else before he fell apart. As he walked back to the deck he passed Tad, but ignored whatever the man was trying to say, shoving past him in the process. When he got out to the deck he made his way up to the crow’s nest, it was the only place he could think of where no one would bother him.

He looked at the stars, as if they could offer any insight into Bill’s behavior. Despite what the man said, Dipper knew he had friends. And until now he was fairly certain he’d been one of them. Maybe it was naïve to expect kindness from a man like Bill, surely there was a reason he was one of the most feared captains in the world.

“The Demon of the Caribbean,” Dipper muttered, he knew that name had come from somewhere, but Bill had never seemed like he deserved such a name. Could he really have done something so bad as to warrant being called a demon?

He thought back to the sailors he’d scared off at Tortuga, he didn’t even have _say_ anything to get them to leave. Surely someone had to have done some nasty things in life to merit that kind of fear. But then Dipper thought of Rosie and Priscilla, they hadn’t seemed afraid of Bill at all. And when Bill had asked for her help Rosie had agreed before he even told her what he wanted. Surely that kind of blind trust couldn’t be given to someone bad enough to be nicknamed a demon?

Dipper sighed and closed his eyes, listening to the waves hit the boat so far below him. The sound of the ocean was one of the things he liked most about being at sea, it helped him calm down when his thoughts got to be too much for him.

He sighed as the peace was disturbed by shouting. Honestly it was a miracle the ship had remained quiet for so long. He looked down to see what was happening, 8-Ball had just come running out of the galley, Pyronica hot on his tail. Dipper couldn’t quite hear what she was shouting, but he figured it was something threatening. As more of the crew came out he realized it wouldn’t be peaceful out here for a while, and that he was better off just going to bed. He sighed and made his way down to the deck, giving the rest of the crew a wide berth.


	12. Bloody Murder!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun to write, and may be slightly self indulgent, but hopefully you all find it as a fun as I do. And I know this is being posted a little bit later than is usual, but it's only because I forgot today was Sunday. I can't wait to get back to school.
> 
> Any way I hope you guys enjoy this new stuff, and as always thank you to everyone who's left kudos, comments, or bookmarked this story, you guys are awesome.

“Mabel come back!” Robbie shouted as she struggled to climb up the rigging, “You’re going to fall!”

“I’m not coming down until you promise not to kill him!” Mabel shouted back, “You should be ashamed for trying!”

“Mabel it’s a _pig_!” Robbie said, “And I’m under orders!”

“Well I’m not coming down until I know that Waddles is safe!” She said, holding the pig close. Climbing up the mast while carrying a fifteen pound pig may not have been the most well thought out plan Mabel had ever executed, but she couldn’t just sit back and watch as Robbie decapitated the poor thing. They’d picked up some livestock while in Tortuga, and deep down Mabel knew that it was for food, but when she’d seen the fear in Waddles’ eyes she just couldn’t stand to see his life end.

Robbie grumbled and marched off, probably to go find an authority figure to complain to. Mabel found a relatively stable place to sit just above the lowest sail, and situated Waddles into her lap. He looked up at her, and Mabel liked to think there was gratitude in his eyes.

“Don’t worry Waddles, I won’t let anyone hurt you,” she hugged the pig close, and he gave a squeal of approval.

“Mabel get down from there before you fall!” Stan shouted at her, she looked down to see him standing next to Wendy and Robbie, “We can talk about the pig, but only if you come down right now.”

Mabel picked up Waddles with one arm, then carefully made her way back down to the deck. She clutched Waddles close to her chest as she approached Stan. Looking at Robbie with apprehension, “He was trying to murder Waddles.”

“It’s a pig Mabel!” Robbie shouted at her, “You can’t murder a pig!”

“His name is Waddles!” Mabel said, “And you tried to behead him! That’s pretty murder-y!”

Wendy brought a hand to her mouth, trying to cover her laughter. She switched to coughing when Robbie gave her an angry look.

Stan sighed, “Why is this suddenly so important to you? You’re not going vegetarian on me are you? Because I will throw you overboard.”

“No,” Mabel said, “But just look at him! He’s too cute to be eaten!”

“I don’t see it,” Stan said, “But if you’re willing to take responsibility for him-”

“Oh thank you thank you thank you!” Mabel said, trying to convey her enthusiasm with a one armed hug so as not to squish Waddles.

“Yeah yeah whatever,” Stan said, lightly pushing her away, “But the moment he starts causing problems he’s back on the menu.”

Robbie grumbled something about favoritism and stalked off, and Wendy let loose her laughter.

“Get the pig stowed away, then report to my office,” Stan said, “We need to talk about some things before we get to Kingston.”

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

“So what did you need to tell us?” Wendy asked, taking a seat opposite Mabel.

“You’ve been teaching Mabel sword play correct?” he asked, “How’s she doing with that?”

“Getting better,” Wendy said, “She’s gotten most of the forms down, but she hasn’t started sparring yet. Why?”

“Because I want her to be able to hold her own in a fight,” Stan said, “If we’re going to be dealing with Cipher I want her to be able to defend herself. That crew of his is deadly, and they won’t think twice about killing.”

Mabel shifted nervously, “Will it really come to a fight? Surely there’s a way to settle this peacefully?”

“Bill Cipher is a monster Mabel,” Stan said, “You don’t have peaceful interactions with monsters.”

“But the people in the North West Tavern seemed to really like him,” Mabel said, “Surely he can’t be all that bad?”

“He’s nicknamed the Demon of the Caribbean,” Wendy said, “He didn’t get that name for being well liked Mabel. He and his crew are some of the most dangerous people alive.”

“What did they do?” Mabel asked, “With a name like that there _must_ be a story to go with it.”

Wendy looked uncertain, but Stan stayed firm, “They’re liars and murderers. The specific list of crimes is irrelevant.”

“Oh come _on_ ,” Mabel said, rolling her eyes, “I’m pretty sure _all_ pirates are liars and murders. So what was it? Did they humiliate the Crown? Did they kill somebody super important? Oh did they-”

“It doesn’t matter!” Grunkle Stan said, and Mabel paused at his harshness.

“Fine then,” she said, all merriment gone as she turned to Wendy, “I’m going to go see Waddles, let me know when you’re ready to practice.”

“Mabel wait,” Stan started, but she was already gone. He was clearly hiding something, and maybe she was a little too nosey about finding out what it was, but he didn’t have to be so mean about it.

Her spirits brightened when she saw Waddles curled up on her bed. He was nestled in a pile of blankets and pillows, and it was really just impossible to be angry when faced with so much cuteness. Mabel climbed into bed, careful not to disturb Waddles as she curled around him. Grunkle Stan may be a grump, but she knew she could never stay mad at him for long, she just needed to nap it off.

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

Mabel decided that she didn’t like sword play when Wendy knocked her down a third time, “Why can’t I just shoot them again?”

Wendy laughed, “Because it takes time to reload, and if a gun gets wet it’s useless until the powder dries. I know it’s hard to believe right now, but eventually you’ll see that sword as an extension of your arm. Let’s go one more time, then we can get dinner, okay?”

Mabel sighed, but stood up again and slipped into a fighting stance, “So do you know why Stan hates Cipher so much?”

“Not a clue Mabel,” Wendy said, she lunged forward and Mabel brought her sword up to block the blow, “Stan’s been sailing for many years, I’ve only been with him for five.”

Wendy pulled back, circling Mabel before she lunged again, and Mabel felt a twinge of pride when she managed to block her a second time, “And he’s never talked about it?”

“Stan doesn’t really talk about his past, and I’m not the type to ask,” Wendy said, she thrusted again Mabel stumbled back from the force of it, “Don’t forget to keep your footing firm.”

Mabel readjusted her stance as Wendy pulled back, then she herself lunged. Wendy blocked the attack with ease, but she smiled at Mabel, “Good! You’re getting bolder. Remember, defense is only half the battle.”

“Is it weird to serve a captain whose past is a mystery?” Mabel asked as she stepped back.

“Not really,” Wendy said, she struck again, but when Mabel blocked the blow Wendy moved her sword down, the blades scraped against each other as they moved in a circle, and Mabel had to drop her sword to avoid being cut, and Wendy smiled again, “I know that Stan’s a good guy, even if he does have some skeletons in the closet, what’s done is done. Why drag out the past when you don’t need to?”

Mabel bent to pick up her sword, then followed Wendy to the room where they stored weapons that weren’t in use, “I guess that makes sense. But I’m still curious about what happened with Cipher.”

“So am I,” Wendy said, “But I’m sure it’s nothing that’ll be relevant when we go against him, otherwise Stan would tell us. He may like his secrets, but he wouldn’t send us into a fight when we were missing important information on the adversary.”

Mabel sighed, “So is there really no chance we can get Dipper back without a fight?”

Wendy shook her head, “If even _half_ of the things I’ve heard about Bill Cipher are true, then there’s less than no chance of walking away without getting into a fight.”

“Poor Dipper,” Mabel said, she’d never really been too worried about Dipper’s safety before. She missed him sure, but she knew that he was smart enough to handle being on his own. But this Cipher character sounded pretty dangerous, and she could only hope that Dipper had figured out how to deal with him.

“Don’t worry Mabel,” Wendy said, “Your brother sounds like a pretty smart kid to me, he’ll be okay. Now why don’t we get some dinner?”

“Now there’s an idea I can get behind!” Mabel said, a smile plastered to her face as they made their way to the galley.


	13. Gravity Falls?

About halfway to Kingston Dipper realized he should probably write a letter to his parents and tell them he wasn’t actually dead. However he quickly realized that he also couldn’t tell them where he was, or who had saved him, or if he’d ever be able to see them again. He considered lying and saying he was on _El Misterio_ , but Stan wrote to his parents regularly so it would only be a matter of time before they found out he wasn’t there. He also wasn’t sure what to tell them about Mabel. Would she have thought to write to them? Probably not, knowing how easily distracted she was.

A few weeks of thinking later they arrived at Kingston, and after all that work Dipper had managed to scrape together what was likely the shortest letter ever written.

_Dear Mother and Father,_

_As you probably heard, The Diviner was sunk in a storm. I was pulled out of the sea by a passing ship, but Mabel and I were separated and I don’t know what became of her. I joined the crew of the ship that pulled me out, and I’m afraid I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to see you again. I’ll write when I can, but I don’t expect that to be often so don’t worry if there are long periods where you don’t hear from me._

_Dipper_

He sighed, quickly sealing and addressing the envelope. He made his way up to the deck just as they were approaching Kingston. The buildings were wooden and painted in pastels, and there were palm trees everywhere. The city was just starting to wake up, and the streets were still empty. It was a beautiful city, but after the chaos of Tortuga it seemed boring.

He shook his head at that, he’d been spending too much time with the insane. He climbed into the rigging to help tie down the sails, trying to focus on the ropes instead of the constant bickering of his shipmates.

As he made his way back down to the deck he heard Tad calling for their attention, “Alright, we’ve got cargo to unload and more to bring aboard, so you lot best be well rested and ready to work!”

The crew groaned, but no one raised an argument as they dispersed. Dipper wondered if he’d get a chance to send his letter, he had no idea where they were going next and while the letter was short, he didn’t want to wait much longer before sending it.

 “Pine Tree!” Bill called from the bridge, “Get up here!”

Dipper jolted to attention and made his way up to the captain. Tad was there as well, and he seemed to be arguing with Bill about something, but he went silent when he saw Dipper.

“Captain?” Dipper had no idea why he was being summoned, and the apparent argument with Tad made him uneasy.

“You and I are heading to town,” Bill said, “We’re going to get our next destination from an old acquaintance of mine.”

“Alright,” Dipper said, “Could I send a letter while we’re out?”

Tad raised an eyebrow at him, “Who’re you writing to?”

“My parents,” Dipper said, “I wanted to let them know I’m still alive. I didn’t tell them where I was though, or mention any names about who I was traveling with.”

“You’re in luck kid,” Bill said, “The tavern we’re going to sends out letters.”

He breathed a sigh of relief, “Thank you. Where are we going that we need to get the location from someone else?”

“You’ll see,” Bill said, grinning mischievously, “Now come along, the tavern’s a ways away and I’d hate to be late.”

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

The tavern was an old building, and it was right in the middle of the city. When they entered it was almost entirely empty, and most of the chairs were still stacked on top of the tables. He followed Bill to the bar, where an elderly woman was wiping down the counter. She was plump, and one eye seemed to be permanently closed. But she smiled when she saw them.

“Good to see you again Susan!” Bill said, “How’s business been?”

“Not bad,” she said, “What can I do for you?”

“Well my friend here has a letter to send,” Bill said, and Dipper pulled out the envelope and handed it to her, “And we’ve got a meeting with the old man.”

She snorted, “He’s in the back corner, but I think he’s still passed out.”

Bill tipped his hat to her and made his way to back of the room, Dipper following. Laying face down on the table was a familiar old man with a long white beard, though Dipper wasn’t sure where he’d seen him before. Bill cleared his throat and the man jolted awake, “I’m old man McGucket!” he shouted, jumping onto the table and suddenly Dipper remembered.

“You!” he said, and Bill looked at him with confusion, “You were that crazy old man on _The Diviner_!”

“I ain’t crazy!” McGucket said, focusing on Dipper with narrowed eyes. Dipper shifted under his gaze, why was Bill meeting this guy?

“Of course you aren’t,” Bill said, taking a seat and gesturing for Dipper to do the same, “Just ignore him, Pine Tree’s not very knowledgeable about how the world works.”

Dipper made an indigent noise, but Bill didn’t acknowledge it, “So, do you have the map?”

“It’s all up here!” McGucket said, gesturing to his head, “You got some paper?”

Bill pulled out some papers and McGucket started making a crude drawing of the Caribbean, “You sure you have it all memorized?”

“Of course I do!” McGucket said, but then he started drawing an island that Dipper was certain didn’t exist.

“What’s that?” he asked, and McGucket grinned at him.

“Why that’s Gravity Falls Island,” McGucket said, “There’s more gold buried there than there is anywhere else in the rest of the world.”

“I’ve never heard of it,” Dipper said, “How can there be an island there that isn’t on any real map?”

“It was covered up!” McGucket said, “By a Spanish captain! He were hoarding gold from the New World, hiding it there instead of passing it on the Spanish crown. When the king found out he had him and his crew killed for treason, but he was never able to discover where the gold was kept.”

“But _you_ did?” Dipper said, not bothering to hide his skepticism.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” McGucket said, “It took years, but I figured it out!”

“And we thank you for your efforts,” Bill said, taking the map from McGucket, “As always, it was a pleasure doing business with you McGucket. How about we get you some food and we celebrate the discovery!”

Bill handed Dipper some gold, “Just ask Susan for the usual, she’ll know what you mean.”

Dipper nodded, glad to get away from the insanity. Was Bill seriously planning to go after a treasure that had been “found” by someone so clearly insane? As he made his way back to the bar he noticed that the tavern had started to fill up. It was far from being packed, but it was clearly a popular place to eat.

He walked up to the bar and waited for Susan to come over to him, she was currently trying to take the order of a very indecisive man who trying to decide on bread.

“Wheat roll? Sweet roll?” he kept muttering, and Dipper frowned, wondering just how long he was planning to go back and forth between the two. Luckily for him he didn’t have to wait and find out, because the moment she saw him Susan excused herself from the man.

“Sorry about that, what can I get you kid?” She said, giving him a smile.

“Bill said to ask for the usual?” he said, passing her the gold.

“You got it!” She said, “It’ll be ready in just a few minutes.”

She went into a door behind the bar for a moment, then went back over to the other man. He still hadn’t decided what kind of bread he wanted though.

Dipper leaned against the bar, wondering what the usual would end up being, and how long it would take for it to be ready. He heard the door open again and more people shuffle in, but he didn’t look back to see them.

“Will you relax kid?” said a man with a gruff voice, “We’re gonna get him back. Just cal-”

The man was cut off by an excited squeal that drew the attention of the entire tavern. Dipper turned around, wondering _why_ anyone would make such a noise. Though what he saw was such a shock he nearly fell over, though that may have been because he was also being tackled by a very familiar, and very excited, girl who he’d started to worry he would never see again.


	14. How to Ruin a Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I normally wait until a relatively normal time to update, but I was just lying in bed not being able to sleep when I realized that it was technically Sunday, and I figured since I left you with a slight cliff hanger last time I'd update now so that you'd wake up to answers! Or, if your sleep schedule is as royally screwed up as mine is, you can read it now.
> 
> TW: There's some blood in this chapter. Nothing too graphic, but I figured I'd warn you anyway.
> 
> And as always, thank you to everyone who commented, left kudos, and/or bookmarked this story! You guys are seriously the best, and I love reading the comments you leave, even if I don't respond that often. Hope you enjoy the update!

Mabel could barely contain her excitement as she made her way down the gang plank. _Mentis_ was in the harbor. When she first saw it she’d made a sound so high pitched it should have only been heard by dogs. She heard Wendy yelling for her to wait, but Mabel was too excited to slow down. She broke into a sprint as soon as her feet hit the docks, she was going to get her brother back and nothing was going to stop her.

When she got to the gang plank of _Mentis_ it was crowded with sailors who were busy loading and unloading boxes of various sizes. There were all sorts of people there, but Dipper was not among them.

“Excuse me!” she said, trying to get the attention of a burly man who was several times her size. He ignored her, and she tried to get the attention of a severe looking woman with short hair, “Excuse me ma’am!”

“We’re busy!” the woman snapped, “Get out of here!”

“I’m looking for someone though,” Mabel said, but the woman had already moved on. She scanned the sailors again, still not seeing Dipper. However she did see a handsome man with dark hair giving orders from the deck. She took a moment to steel her courage, knowing that this was probably the stupidest thing she’d ever do, and then made her way up the gang plank.

The sailors may have been determined to ignore her, but the man giving orders noticed her immediately, “The hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Are you Captain Cipher?” she asked.

“No,” he said, “What do you want with the Captain?”

“I’m looking for someone, and he’ll know where I can find him,” She’d decided that she wouldn’t get into specifics with anyone until she had to, at least then she could say she’d been exercising _some_ form of caution, “Can you take me to the Captain?”

Mabel could practically see the gears turning in his head, and Mabel suddenly wondered if she should have waited for Wendy before charging off on her own, “Who are you?”

Mabel paused for a moment, she didn’t really want to give out her real name, but she needed information. Then she remembered what the girls at Tortuga had said, “Shooting Star?”

She must have said the right thing, because the man suddenly seemed much kinder, “He’s not on board. He went to a tavern called Greasy’s, it’s in the middle of town. I’d take you, but I’m busy.”

“Thank you!” Mabel said, making her way back to the docks as quickly as possible. When she got down she saw Wendy waiting at the bottom, she seemed tense but relaxed as soon as she saw Mabel.

“What happened? Did you find him?” she asked, quickly grabbing Mabel’s hand and pulling her away from the ship.

“No,” Mabel said, “But I know where the Captain is. I didn’t know if I should mention out right that I was looking for Dipper, I hope I didn’t mess anything up.”

“No, that was smart,” Wendy said, “You didn’t give out your name right?”

“Not my real one,” Mabel said, “I gave him the nickname that the girls in Tortuga had used.”

“Alright,” Wendy said, “Let’s get Stan, then we’ll go find Cipher. Where is he supposed to be?”

“A tavern called Greasy’s,” Mabel said, and Wendy’s face lit up, “Do you know it?”

“Definitely,” Wendy said, and Mabel couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

As they made their way through Kingston Mabel’s excitement started to give way to nerves. She’d never been the type to worry about things, but all of Stan and Wendy’s warnings had her stomach tied in knots.

“What if Cipher won’t let him go?” she asked for the hundredth time. They were finally at the tavern, and Mabel realized that this may be her only chance to get Dipper back. The thought didn’t help her ever growing anxiety.

“Will you relax kid?” Grunkle Stan said as he led the way into the tavern, “We’re gonna get him back. Just cal-”

She cut him off with a squeal, and the entire tavern was looking at them but she didn’t care. Because leaning against the bar was a boy she’d know anywhere, and she couldn’t help herself as she ran forward and tackled him into a hug.

“M-mabel?” Dipper sputtered out, shock clear on his face. He grabbed her shoulders and held her at arm’s length, looking her up and down. Mabel grinned sheepishly, remembering just how different she must look now. But he quickly pulled her back into a hug.

“I missed you bro-bro,” she said, hugging him back with all the enthusiasm she could muster.

“I was so worried about you,” he said, pulling away again, “Where have you been? How’d you get here?”

“Wendy found me in the wreckage, I’ve been on _El Misterio_ ,” she said, gesturing to Wendy and Grunkle Stan, but Dipper didn’t pay them any heed.

“You look so different,” he said, “It’s a good different though!”

“I decided to join the crew!” Mabel said, grinning at him, “You’re going to love it, everyone’s so nice! And we’ll be together!”

Dipper’s face fell, and Mabel’s smile faltered, “Er Mabel, I don’t think I can just leave _Mentis_. I made a commitment.”

“Well surely you can get out of it?” Mabel said, “I mean who would be cruel enough to keep someone on board their ship against their will?”

“I might be,” Mabel turned to see a tall man in black and gold. He looked powerful, and dangerous, and Mabel didn’t need to be introduced to know who he was, “I take it you’re Shooting Star?”

“Apparently,” Mabel frowned, and she may have been squeezing Dipper’s arm a bit harder than necessary, “And I take _you_ are the infamous Captain Bill Cipher.”

He grinned at her, and it might have been charming if she wasn’t so scared, “The one and only. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Now I’m sure you two would like to catch up, but we’ve got business to attend to back on _Mentis_. You’re welcome to join us if you’d like, I’d be happy to keep you aboard until we can ransom you back to that fiancé of yours.”

“No!” Dipper and Mabel spoke instantaneously, and she looked at her brother with confusion, “Wait what?”

Dipper looked a bit bemused, “The crew of _Mentis_ is made up solely of the insane, I don’t want you anywhere near them. But why are you opposed to it?”

“Because I am _not_ going to marry Gideon,” Mabel said, “I decided I’m done with letting other people control my life, and then I _met_ him in Havana and he was just _horrid_! Besides, neither of us is going back to _Mentis_. You’re supposed to be signing on with Grunkle Stan, remember?”

“Now I’m sure I’ve misunderstood that last bit,” said Bill, “because it _sounds_ like you’re asking your brother to leave my crew. But surely you aren’t, because the only men who leave _my_ crew are the dead ones.”

There was a flash of malice in his eyes, and Mabel suddenly understood why people called him a demon. She couldn’t imagine what horrors her brother must have been witness to while on his ship.

“Well that’s going to have to change,” Grunkle Stan said, placing a hand on Mabel’s shoulder, “Because Dipper’s coming with us.”

“Stan Pines!” Bill said, though his polite tone seemed a bit strained, “Long time no see! Still captaining that hunk of driftwood you call a ship?”

Stan’s hand tightened on her shoulder, “What’s it going to take to get you to release my nephew?”

Bill looked thoughtful for a moment, “I don’t think you’ve got anything that’d be as valuable. Pine Tree’s a very good navigator you know.”

That’s when Stan pulled his sword, and Dipper tugged Mabel away from him, “Then I’ll take him by force.”

Bill laughed as he drew his own sword, “You’re welcome to try. It’s your funeral though.”

“Get him, Get him!” one of the patrons said, Mabel shot the man a glare, but quickly turned her attention back to Grunkle Stan when she heard swords clash.

Stan was surprisingly quick for an old man, and Mabel could barely follow his movements as he and Bill fought. But she could hear the scrape of swords, and fear twisted in her gut. Dipper wrapped his arm around her, “Don’t watch.”

She just shook her head at him, not trusting herself to speak but also unable to look away. Bill’s sword whipped through the air, and Grunkle Stan was just a bit too slow in bringing his sword up, and Mabel could hear the fabric of his jacket tearing. She gasped at the bloody gash that was left behind on Stan’s arm, not that he seemed to notice as he lunged forward again. His movements were slower now, though they carried the same force, but Mabel could see the blood spreading through his jacket.

However she noticed that Bill’s movements were getting sloppier too, he must have been getting tired, or cocky, it was hard to tell. It was affecting his fighting though, and it didn’t take long for Stan to land his own hit.

Bill cried out and clutched at where his right eye used to be. Mabel had never seen so much blood, and she turned to grab Dipper for support only to find he was gone.

“Bill!” he was by the man in an instant, and Mabel didn’t know who was more shocked, her, Stan, or Bill himself. She could only watch as he brother led the injured man out of the tavern.


	15. An Eye for an Eye?

By the time they reached the ship Dipper was dragging Bill rather than leading him. Once he got within eyesight of the ship however the rest of the crew rushed to help them aboard. Dipper had never been so relieved to see them.

“Captain! Somebody get that damn doctor!” Tad barked, then turned to Dipper when he realized Bill was unconscious, “What happened?”

“There was a fight,” Dipper said as he helped lower Bill onto his bed. Tad gave him a look that said he wanted a full explanation later, but for now helping Bill took priority. Dipper was glad for that, as he wasn’t sure he wanted to inflict the wrath of the crew onto his family just yet.

Bill woke up with a yelp when Tad started pouring alcohol onto the wound, “What the hell are you doing Strange?”

“I’m trying to sterilize that cut of yours,” Tad said, “Kid, help me hold him down.”

Dipper rushed to aide Tad, and Bill gave him a disbelieving look. Dipper tried not to look him in the eye, he knew why Bill was so shocked. He himself was fairly confused by his actions. He could have easily left with Mabel and Stan and never given a second thought to the man who’d threatened him into joining his crew. By all rights he _should_ have left, but he couldn’t. He also couldn’t pretend it was a conflict of morals, because it would have been easy to stop Stan and just leave Bill at the tavern, but he couldn’t have done that either.

Bill strained against him, trying not to show how much pain he was in but failing miserably, “Damn it Tad I’m perfectly fine!”

Tad barked out a laugh, “You’re missing an eye, you’re a fair ways from being perfectly fine. Now hold still! If we don’t clean this properly it’ll get infected.”

“We don’t have time for this, we need to get out of the harbor,” Bill said, “That fool won’t be satisfied with just taking my eye. Now go get us ready to sail!”

Tad looked like he was going to protest, but Dipper knew Bill was right, and he knew Mabel would be in danger if they crossed paths again, “I’ll look after him until the doc gets here, you prep the ship.”

Tad looked unsure, but a quick glance at Bill told him there was no other option, “Don’t let him talk his way out of getting that cleaned.”

Dipper nodded and Tad handed him the cloth he’d been using to clean the gash, and Dipper carefully continued to wipe up the blood, trying to cause as little discomfort as possible. Bill didn’t say anything, just winced occasionally whenever Dipper started on a new area. The gash didn’t look too bad now that the blood was cleaned and it wasn’t long before the doctor, a short, mustachioed man called Hectorgon, had come in to bandage up Bill’s eye.

Dipper waited patiently while Hectorgon worked, and when the man was finished he breathed a sigh of relief. When Hectorgon left Bill beckoned him over, and Dipper cautiously moved towards him.

“Why?” Bill asked. His eye searching Dipper’s face for answers.

Dipper bit his lip. Part of him knew exactly why he helped Bill, but the rest of him was rather adamant about denying it, “It was the right thing to do.”

“You’ve gone above and beyond for someone who was just trying to do the right thing,” Bill said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. There was a bit of a lurch as the ship pulled away from the dock, and Bill faltered as he stood up, Dipper moved to steady him but Bill waved him off, “Guess you’re staying with us then?”

“I guess so,” Dipper said, “Where are we going?”

“Gravity Falls of course!” Bill said, “And we better hurry, the deal I made with McGucket was that I’d take him with us, and since he’s been left behind he’s liable to share the treasure’s location with the first Captain who’ll listen.”

“What makes you so sure this place even exists?” Dipper asked as Bill made his way into the office, “That McGucket guy didn’t really seem like the most reliable source for information.”

Bill laughed, and Dipper was relieved to hear the sound, “I’ll admit McGucket’s got a few more screws loose than most, but he was once one of the smartest men to ever set sail. Unfortunately for him he spent a good long while marooned on an island, never been the same since. Most of what he says still has some truth to it though, and he’s still got more smarts than you and I combined.”

“So I take it I need to plot a course to Gravity Falls then?” Dipper asked, still not completely sure it was a good idea.

“Yep! And from there we’ll head up to Nassau, so even if the island turns out to be as imaginary as you seem to think it is, the trip won’t be a _complete_ waste of time,” Bill said, “Though the existence of the treasure stays between you, me, and Tad, alright?”

Dipper nodded, “Why aren’t you telling the rest of the crew?”

“Several reasons,” Bill said, spreading out a proper map and placing it next to the one McGucket had drawn, “First of all, it might not exist. Can’t promise them gold if it might not be real. Second of all, as you’ve probably noticed, my crew is largely insane. If they find out there’s gold to be had they’ll start killing each other so that they get a bigger share. I’d prefer to save that until after the gold has been dished out, because that means less math for me.”

Dipper frowned a bit at the second reason, but he couldn’t argue with it, “Why do you keep so many volatile people in your crew?”

“Because they’re very good at their jobs,” Bill said, “And while it may make things a bit more hectic, once you get into the swing of things they’re all very predictable. And while I know it may be hard to believe at times, most of them wouldn’t _actually_ kill each other. Maybe a bit of maiming, but the ones who’ve been here awhile have enough respect not to _kill_ each other.”

“You know I’m starting to think that coming back with you may not have been such a great idea after all,” Dipper said, trying to pinpoint the coordinates of Gravity Falls.

“Don’t worry Pine Tree, I won’t let them hurt you,” Bill said, his voice growing serious, “Only _I_ get to do that.”

Dipper looked up, only to see Bill grinning at him, and Dipper sighed, “Don’t try to be funny, you’re not good at it.”

“I’m being completely serious,” Bill said, though he was still grinning, “You saved my life after all, so I’m in your debt until I can return the favor. Assuring you safe passage on my ship is the very least I can do.”

Bill was suddenly very close to him, and Dipper was struggling to focus on his work. He was saved however, because Tad came bursting into the office and Bill immediately stopped invading his personal space, “We’re underway then?”

Tad nodded, “How’s your eye?”

“Much better!” Bill said, “Hectorgon may not be timely, but he’s very good at his job!”

Dipper rolled his eyes and started to focus on curving their route towards where Gravity Falls was meant to be. It extended the journey to Nassau by a few days, but the difference wasn’t overly noticeable. He had to admit, if the island existed it was in the perfect place for hiding treasure, it was close enough to everything that it wasn’t a hassle, but out of the way enough that no one was likely to pass close enough to see it.

“Good,” Tad said, “Then you can tell me how it happened.”

Dipper stiffened, wondering if Tad would blame him when he found out why Bill had been fighting. It kind of _was_ his fault, and he wasn’t so sure the crew would react well to that. They definitely wouldn’t be willing to show mercy to Stan though, and if they got the chance they’d probably slaughter the entire crew of _El Misterio_ too.

“I was fighting,” Bill said, and Dipper held his breath as he waited for the rest of the story, “I left the other guy with a pretty nasty gash though, so I’d say we’re even. If he’s wise he won’t come after us, but if he does I’ll finish him off.”

Dipper could barely contain his surprise. Was Bill really not going to tell Tad what had happened?

Tad frowned, “So you were being reckless then?”

“I don’t know if I’d say reckless,” Bill said, “Adventurous maybe?”

Tad narrowed his eyes, “How about foolish? Because if you can’t learn to be careful you’ll get yourself killed.”

“Not so long as I have my loyal crew to look after me!” Bill crooned, and Tad scoffed at him before leaving the office.

“Why didn’t you tell him?” Dipper asked, “I figured you’d be ‘an eye for an eye’ kinda guy.”

“Because an eye for an eye makes the world go blind. Also, Tad would have gotten the crew riled up about it, and they wouldn’t be satisfied with just Stan’s death,” Bill said, “I’d rather not have my crew responsible for killing your sister, I can’t imagine you’d ever forgive me. I like you kid, and now I know that I can depend on you too. It’s always a good idea to stay on the good side of a dependable person, because if you don’t you can depend on them to get revenge.”

He was a quiet for a moment, Bill’s reasoning made sense, but it surprised him. Bill had seemed rather hell bent on pushing him away earlier, but now he was being a bit overly friendly. And had he really saved Bill’s life? Surely Stan wouldn’t have actually _killed_ him. Then Dipper thought about what Stan _had_ done, and he grimaced at the memory, “Sorry about your eye.”

Bill laughed at that, “Don’t be, I deserved it.”

“Why? Stan started the fight,” Dipper said, frowning.

“That’s a story for another day,” Bill said, “Just focus on your navigating for now.”


	16. The Chase Begins!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so as always, thanks to everyone who commented, left kudos, or bookmarked, you guys are really awesome and I love reading the stuff you say, it's really fun to see your reactions. I do have a announcement/proposition for you all, so make sure you read the notes after chapter 17.

Mabel felt numb after her brother left. Because he didn’t just leave, he left _her._ However she couldn’t wallow in the betrayal just yet, because her Grunkle was injured and in desperate need of medical attention.

“Will you get off of me!” He said, trying to shake Wendy off of his arm and wincing at the pain, “We need to go after them!”

“Stan if I don’t bandage this you’re going to bleed to death,” Wendy said, her voice firm, “We’ll never get to them before they get back to the docks, and there is no way we can take on that crew and survive the fight.”

“But-”

“No buts!” Wendy said, forcing him to sit down at an empty table. She pulled off his jacket and tore the sleeve of his shirt off so that she could properly inspect the wound. Mabel felt dizzy at the sight of so much blood; there was a long gash spanning from his shoulder to his elbow, and it looked deep.

Wendy started tearing his shirt sleeve into strips, then tying them around his arm in an attempt to close the wound. She pulled off her sash and wrapped that around as well, “That should do for now, but you’ll have to get that properly dressed when we get back to the ship.”

“What do we do now?” Mabel asked, “We have no way of knowing where they’ll go next.”

“Sure you do!” Mabel nearly jumped out of her skin when a short old man popped up behind her.

“Who the hell are you?” Stan asked, looking at the man with disdain.

“Wait I know you!” Mabel said, “You were on-”

“ _The Diviner_ , yes, I know,” McGucket said, clearly impatient, “Now do you want to know where they’re going or not?”

“We do!” Mabel said, “Please if you know where they went, we really need to find them.”

McGucket smiled at her, “They went to find the lost treasure of Gravity Falls Island!”

“Never heard of it,” Stan said, glaring at the old man.

“Hardly anyone has,” he answered, “But I promise, that’s where they’ll be going.”

“Where is it?”

“Ya’ll got some paper?” McGucket asked, “I can draw you up a map.”

“Oh thank you thank you thank you!” Mabel said, hugging the old man as Wendy pulled some parchment out of Stan’s coat.

“No problem little lady,” he said, taking the paper and pulling a pencil from behind his ear, “There is one thing I’d like to request in return though.”

“Name it!” Mabel said, watching with interest as he began scribbling a map of the Caribbean.

“I want ya’ll to take me with you,” he said, “I don’t care much for the treasure, but I want ta see if I was right about the location of the island. It’s the greatest puzzle I’ve ever worked on, and I’d like ta see the end result.”

“No problem,” Stan said, “With you on board we can get rid of that nosey navigator I’ve been having to put up with.”

“Great!” said McGucket, handing Stan the map, “Then lets scrapdoodle on outta here!”

He made his way to the door and Wendy gave Mabel an incredulous look, “Scrapdoodle?”

Mabel shrugged and took Stan’s hand, leading him out the door.

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

Mabel was nervous when they reached the ship. _Mentis_ was no longer in the harbor, and there was no telling how long they’d been gone. And as far as finding the destination went they had Dipper as a massive advantage. She sighed at the thought, he’d really left her. Was it even worth chasing after him? Maybe he didn’t _want_ to leave _Mentis_.

“Well well well, what a surprise running into the Pines family!” Mabel’s blood ran cold at the familiar voice. She whirled around, pulling her sword out as she did, and was met by the sight of Gideon and his cronies.

“What do you want Gleeful?” Wendy spat, pulling her own sword and pushing Stan towards the gang plank in one swift motion.

“Why I’d just like to do my job, and arrest a dangerous band of pirates who’ve been terrorizing these waters,” he answered, feigning innocence, “Now if ya’ll would be so kind as to drop yer weapons and turn yourselves in, you may just find mercy in your executions.”

“Ha! There’s a better chance of Hell freezing over!” Mabel said, raising her sword as she slipped into a fighting stance. She took a deep breath and grounded herself, trying to focus on everything Wendy had been teaching her.

“Now Mabel dear, why don’t you put that down,” Gideon said, the way he talked down to her lit a fire within her, and she realized that she finally had an opportunity to work out all her frustrations, “You haven’t broken any laws just yet, and there’s no reason to start now. But if you attack us, I won’t be able to help you.”

“I’d sooner _die_ than take help from a pompous fool like you!” Mabel spat, and Gideon’s face darkened with anger. It was enough to make her hesitate, was she really prepared to take him on? Sure she had Wendy to help her, but they were still out numbered.

“Now Mabel, I’m going to give you one last chance to put down your sword,” Gideon said, and the cold professionalism in his voice chilled her to the bone.

“Hey dirt bag!” Stan shouted, and Mabel looked up to see that he’d made his way on deck, and was now pointing a rifle at Gideon, “Now I’m gonna give you one last chance to step away from my crew.”

Gideon snapped his fingers, and his men suddenly moved in front of him, their own guns drawn, “I won’t be cowed Stanford! I swore I’d see you lot hang and I will stand by that promise!”

“That’ll be the death of ya!” Stan shouted, and the guns went off all at once. Mabel and Wendy made a mad dash for the gang plank as bullets filled the air. The moment the girls were on deck Soos was pulling up the gangplank, tipping it over to knock one of the navy men off of it.

“Anchors aweigh!” shouted Grenda, and suddenly the ship was moving away from the dock.

Mabel smiled for a moment, happy to have escaped Gideon again, but as she scanned the crowd and did a visual rollcall, she noticed there was someone missing, “We forgot McGucket!”

She ran to the side of the boat, searching the quickly disappearing docks for any sign of the old man. Her stomach sank as she saw him being shackled by Gideon’s henchmen.

“I’m sure he’ll be alright,” Wendy said, though she didn’t sound sure at all, “There’s nothing we can do for him now anyway.”

“I feel like such a horrible person,” Mabel said, “This is all my fault, I never should have told Gideon I was still alive.”

“It’s not your fault that he’s a psychopath that can’t take rejection Mabel,” Wendy said, “Now come help me take care of Stan. Sterilizing that gash is going to hurt like hell and he’s gonna fight me on it.”

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

“There! All done!” Wendy said, “We’ll have to change the bandages again later, but that shouldn’t hurt.”

“It better not,” Stan said, “I can’t scheme properly with the two of you torturing me.”

“Oh don’t be such a baby,” Wendy said, “And does that mean you haven’t thought up a plan for beating Cipher yet?”

“Oh I’ve got a plan alright!” Stan said, hatred leaking into his voice, “We kill the bastard!”

Wendy rolled her eyes, but Mabel was confused, “Why do you hate Captain Cipher so much?”

Stan sighed, “Because of what he did to my twin brother.”

“You have a twin brother?” Mabel asked.

“Had,” Stan clarified, “Cipher ransacked his ship, _this_ ship actually, and then marooned him god knows where. He was an honest merchant, never did anybody any kind of wrong, but that didn’t mean a thing to that monster. So I swore my revenge, I took my brother’s name so that I could gain possession of his ship, and maybe scare Cipher into thinking Ford’d gotten off that damned island somehow, but he never took the bait. He either didn’t care or knew it was really just Stanley trying to get a rise out of him.”

“That’s so awful!” Mabel said, anger boiling in the pit of her stomach, “Do you have any idea why he did it?”

“He’s _insane_ , he doesn’t have reasons,” Stan said, “That’s why it’s so important that we get your brother back as quickly as possible, before Cipher gets bored and has him killed.”

“Hang on,” Wendy said, “So you’re saying that your parents had _twin_ _boys_ , and then named them _both_ Stan?”

“ _That’s_ what you’re taking from this?” Stan asked, disbelief clear on his face.

“Yep!” Wendy said cheerily. Despite the need for seriousness, Mabel couldn’t hold back a giggle. Stan groaned dramatically and rubbed his temples.

“How’d I get stuck with such a ridiculous crew?” he muttered. Wendy just laughed.


	17. Geronimo!

“Land ho!” shouted 8-Ball from the crow’s nest, and Dipper nearly fell out of the rigging in shock. He whipped his head around and searched the horizon, and sure enough there was an island there. He quickly finished tying up the sail, then made his way back down to the boat.

“Hey kid!” Xanthar shouted, “I thought you said we were still a week out from Nassau?”

“We are!” Dipper called back as he made his way across the deck, “I don’t know what that is, there’s no island there on the maps.”

“So we’ve stumbled upon a completely unknown island?” Xanthar said, his voice laced with suspicion.

“Apparently,” Dipper said, squinting at the ever growing island on the horizon. He could see two large cliffs in the center of the island, though they had huge gaps in them, as if something had crashed through them. He could also see waterfalls coming down from the top of the cliffs, and the rest of the island was covered in forest.

“Someone best go tell the captain then,” Tad said.

“Why should we?” Pyronica said, scowling at him, “He’ll stop the ship and make us explore, you know he will. And who knows what’s lurking there!”

“There could be a school of sirens!” Kryptos chimed in, “Or a kraken! And don’t even get me _started_ on what could be on the island itself! Cannibals, wild boars-”

“Pyronica’s mother?” Xanthar suggested, and the string of expletives she let out in response managed to shock even Xanthar.

“I change my mind, kid, go tell the captain,” Pyronica gave Dipper a pointed look, “Then if we find something dangerous, we’ll just feed Xanthar to it. It’ll probably choke on ‘is fat ass!”

“Why you trigger happy she-beast!”  

Dipper quickly made his way down below to the captain’s quarters, not wanting to stick around for Pyronica and Xanthar’s fight. They never seemed to hurt _each_ _other_ , but their attempts almost always led to the injury (or death, in a few cases) of some innocent bystander.

He knocked on the door to Bill’s office, then walked in. Bill was sitting at his desk, doing some kind of paperwork. Dipper felt a twinge of guilt when he looked at the triangular eyepatch that now covered Bill’s right eye. Part of him knew that it wasn’t really his fault, that Bill knew exactly what he was doing when he got into that fight with Stan, but he still felt bad about it.

“You better have a good reason for coming in uninvited,” Bill said, not looking up from his papers.

“There’s an island off our starboard side,” Dipper said, and when Bill looked up he gave him a smug grin.

“Oh really?” he said, “And what might the name of this island be?”

“According to the maps, it doesn’t exist. Therefore, it doesn’t yet have a name,” Dipper said, frowning as Bill’s grin grew.

“Now I think we both know that’s not quite true,” Bill said, rising and crossing the room.

“Fine!” Dipper said, “McGucket was right, and it’s almost definitely Gravity Falls Island. Happy now?”

Bill laughed, “Absolutely Pine Tree. Now let’s go get the crew ready for the expedition!”

Dipper sighed and followed Bill back up to the deck. He sighed again when they joined the crew, Pyronica and Xanthar will still screaming at each other, 8-Ball and Teeth were attempting to put out a small fire, Tad was desperately trying to mediate, and Kryptos was hiding in the rigging.

Bill frowned as he looked over the scene, “Oi! Just what do you lot think you’re doing?”

The whole crew froze with terror at the cold tone of their captain, and Dipper shifted nervously. How Bill could switch his mood from playful to furious so quickly was undoubtedly the scariest thing about him.

“Put that fire out!” He barked, and 8-Ball and Teeth scrambled back to work on controlling the blaze, “The rest of you lot, prepare the long boats! Pyronica, Xanthar, I’d like a word with the two of you.”

Bill turned on his heel and made his way back down to his office, and Pyronica and Xanthar exchanged nervous glances before following him.

Dipper quickly moved to help prepare the longboats. He vaguely wondered what Bill was going to do to Xanthar and Pyronica, but then decided he didn’t want to know. There was a bit of cheering when 8-Ball and Teeth finally extinguished the small fire, until Tad ordered them back to work.

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

Despite Kryptos’ predictions of sirens and kraken, they made it to the shore without seeing so much as a flounder. Pyronica and Xanthar hadn’t said a word since their meeting with the captain, though they looked unharmed. Dipper decided that he absolutely did not want to know what had happened.

“Make sure the boats are tied off securely, I’d hate to leave any of you behind if one of them floats off,” Bill said, and Dipper couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.

“Captain,” Tad said, “What exactly are we looking for here?”

“We’ll surely know it when we see it,” Bill answered as he made his way to the tree line.

“So you have absolutely no idea?” Tad said, “Well isn’t that just perfect.”

“Now _where_ is your sense of adventure Tad?” Bill said, “It wouldn’t be any fun if we knew exactly where to go.”

Tad rolled his eyes, but Bill either didn’t notice or didn’t care because he simply walked into the forest, grin fixed upon his face. Dipper frowned and walked after him.

“Do you at least have a strategy for exploring the island?” he asked, “Because earlier you made it seem as though time would be a factor in this trip, and this is a fairly large island.”

“Relax kid, I have a pretty good idea about where to look,” Bill answered.

“Oh? Care to share it with the rest of us Captain?” Tad asked.

Bill grinned at him, “The top of the cliffs of course,” Bill pointed to them, and Dipper had to bite back his groan. The cliffs looked even bigger now than they had from the ship. He hoped Bill’s hunch was right, because if they walked all the way up there and found nothing, the crew would probably turn mutinous.

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

They’d found a cave about halfway up the cliff, and Bill had insisted they search it. Which would have been fine, except that the crew of _Mentis_ was completely insane and constantly trying to kill each other. So it wasn’t exactly _surprising_ when 8-Ball’s attempts to get Pyronica to speak again led to her snapping at him. Unfortunately, Pyronica’s version of snapping at someone involved shooting at them.

“That’s enough!” Bill shouted, and for a second there was silence. Then there was a cracking noise, “ _Shit_.”

The ceiling of the cave was coming down on them, and everything was pandemonium, “Get out! Everyone out!” someone, he thought it was Tad, was shouting.

Dipper moved towards the entrance, but then a rock hit him in the head. He stumbled, blinking rapidly as his vision blurred with red. Someone grabbed him by the waist and started pulling him away from the rock fall, but they were moving away from the entrance too. Dipper tried to pull away, but the blow to his head had left him dizzy and he only managed to pull them both down to the ground.

Dipper landed on top of his would be rescuer, but the man immediately rolled them over so that Dipper would be sheltered from the rock fall. That was when Dipper realized it was _Bill_ who was now pressed flush against him. Dipper could feel the blush creeping across his face, and he was very glad that Bill couldn’t see his face.

The rocks stopped falling as suddenly as they had started, but the air was still thick with dust when Bill finally let him up. Dipper squinted as his eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness.

“Is everyone alright?” Tad’s voice was muffled, but as soon as Dipper looked up he knew why. Not two feet away from them was a massive wall of rubble. It spanned the entire width of the tunnel, and blocked the way from floor to ceiling.

“Where’s the captain?” someone asked, possibly Kryptos, “He didn’t get smashed did he?” Definitely Kryptos.

“I’m fine! Just on the other side of the rubble. Pine Tree’s here too,” Bill rose to inspect the wall of rock, frowning as he did so.

“Don’t worry Captain!” someone else called, “We’ll have those rocks moved in no time!”

“Are you mad?” Pyronica yelled, “You try and shift those rocks and you’ll bring them down all over again!”

“Speaking of being mad and bringing things down,” Xanthar said, and Pyronica let out something that could only be described as a _growl_.

“We’re all going to die,” Kryptos moaned.

“Oh shut your traps already,” Bill said, “Tad, can you all still get out?”

“No sir, the mouth of the cave collapsed too,” Tad answered, “But it looks like we could shift those rocks out of the way without causing another cave in.”

“Alright then, you all work on that, Pine Tree and I are going to see if there’s another way out of here,” Bill said, turning away from the wall to face the darkness behind them. Dipper shakily got to his feet, frowning at the pitch black tunnel.

“That seems like a really terrible idea,” he said, and Bill laughed before wrapping an arm around his shoulders and leaning in close.

“I know it is, but on the off chance those knuckleheads cause another cave in, and they most likely will, I’d prefer to be as far away as possible,” Dipper couldn’t help but snort a little at that, and he let Bill lead them into the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, announcement/proposition time! So I am currently planning out series of little one shots that would show how Bill came up with a nickname for each of his crew members, including Dipper and even some of the crew mates we haven't gotten to know yet. It would all be from Bill's perspective, and I would have them all in one story. Here's my question, if I write that, would you all be interested in reading it? Let me know in the comments so I know how to prioritize it in my list of stuff for this story!


	18. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok wow, so this story nearly has 100 kudos, and that's really awesome! You guys are seriously amazing, I mean it. Oh, and as for the one shot miniseries thing I talked about last time, I got enough positive feedback that I'm gonna do it. However I won't start posting them until this story is finished, so it won't interfere with updates.
> 
> Thanks again to everyone who comments, leaves kudos, and/or bookmarked! You're the best!

When Gravity Falls Island came into view Mabel sent a prayer of thanks to every deity she’d ever heard of, and when she saw _Mentis_ anchored just off the shore she thanked them all again. McGucket had been right, and now she had a second chance of getting Dipper back. She felt a pang of guilt at the thought of the old man, wondering again what had become of him.

“Ready the long boats!” Wendy shouted, and Mabel pushed her thoughts of guilt away. She had to focus on the present, on what she could actually do something about. Or at least what she _hoped_ she could do something about.

She shuddered as she remembered what had happened the last time they went up against Cipher. Stan’s arm had been hurt pretty badly, and while it was healing just fine, he definitely wouldn’t be able to do any fighting for a while. Mabel shook her head, trying to force the memories out of her mind. This time would be different. They’d have the rest of the crew with them this time. And she’d been practicing swordplay with Wendy every day since they left Kingston. She was ready for this.

“Make sure you’re all armed for this trip,” Grunkle Stan shouted, “The crew of _Mentis_ is incredibly dangerous, and they’ll kill you all without a second thought. So make sure you don’t give them the chance.”

Mabel scanned the weapons cash for her usual sword and pistol, but something else caught her eye as well, “The heck is this?”

She picked up the strange device, it looked sort of like a pistol, but there was a hook sticking out of it. She pointed the gun at the wall and pulled the trigger, the hook shot out, pulling a rope along with it. It bounced off the wall and smashed into a rack of swords, and they crashed to the floor.

Stan rushed into the room, and Mabel gave him a sheepish look as she reeled the hook back in, “I see you found the grappling hook. I thought I told Soos to get rid of that useless piece of shit.”

“Are you kidding?” Mabel said, “This thing is awesome! It’ll totally come in handy.”

Stan rolled his eyes at her, “I doubt it, but if you really want to haul that thing around, be my guest.”

Mabel just grinned at him as she attached the grappling hook to her belt.

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

They had just reached the shore of the island when they heard a gun go off. Mabel swiveled around, looking up at the tall cliff where the sound had come from. They could hear the following cave in as well, and Mabel felt her stomach drop at the cloud of dust that rose about halfway up the cliff.

Mabel didn’t stop to think, she just ran. She heard Grunkle Stan call after her, then start swearing when she paid him no head. She sprinted through the woods, ignoring the branches that tore at her clothes. All that mattered was getting up to the cave, because she just knew that was where Dipper was. It had to be.

“Mabel!” Wendy called after her, “Mabel slow down!”

Mabel sighed as she reached the bottom of the cliff, finally slowing her frantic pace, but only because sprinting up that cliff just wasn’t feasible, “Dipper’s in trouble Wendy, I can feel it.”

“Don’t worry Mabel, we’ll get him out, I promise,” Wendy said, coming to a stop at the base of the cliff, “But you _have_ to wait for the rest of the crew, you can’t do this alone.”

Mabel sighed, “Alright. Sorry.”

After what felt like hours, but was probably only minutes, the rest of the crew arrived and they finally began the trek uphill. It was steep, and occasionally some of the rocks further up would shift and then come rolling down on them, and Mabel was suddenly very glad that she wasn’t alone.

They could hear the crew of _Mentis_ long before they were able to see them, and Mabel paled at the threats being made. No wonder Dipper hadn’t wanted her on board.

“I’ll burn you alive fer that you flea ridden swine!” came a woman’s voice, followed by a lot of scuffling as someone presumably ran away.

“Oh Heavenly father, please let me live through this. I’ll never sail under pirate colors again, please just let me live,” someone was franticly muttering.

“Pyronica put that bloody pistol away!” someone shouted, “Unless dooming us once us wasn’t enough for yeh!”

“Why you bloody sluggard!”

“That’s enough out you lot!” Someone shouted, and they all fell silent, “Now I want every last one of you to shut yer traps, and if I hear anything even _slightly_ threatening before we get out of this cave you’ll be getting twenty lashes for it. I am clear?”

“Aye-Aye,” came the response, and that was when Mabel finally reached the cave. She gasped at the sight, a wall of rubble had come down, leaving no room for escape. But she could hear rocks shifting on the other side as the crew of _Mentis_ worked to free themselves.

She looked to Stan for instructions, and he started making all sorts of gestures. Mabel understood the first one calling for silence, but the rest of his plan was entirely lost to her. Wendy and Soos seemed to understand just fine though, as the two of them carefully made their way up the pile and then began moving the rocks at the top.

In no time at all there was a hole big enough for a person, and those trapped inside were still completely oblivious to the fact that they’d been helped. Stan trained his rifle on the hole, and Wendy and Soos quickly moved away from the rubble to do the same.

Then a dark skinned man with buck teeth popped his head out of the hole, he’d looked relieved until he saw Stan, then his face morphed into one of terror and he ducked back into the hole with a yelp.

“Surrender now or die,” Stan yelled. There was some very loud whispering, what sounded like someone being beaten followed by a yelp, then some scuffling and more whisper yelling, and finally silence.

“And just who would we be surrendering to?” said a voice, and Mabel recognized it as the one who’d been giving orders earlier.

“Captain Stanford Pines, of _El Misterio_ ,” Stan answered.

“And are you aware of who you’re attempting to take captive?” the voice asked.

“The crew of _Mentis_ , if I’m not mistaken,” Stan answered, “Though it would appear your captain is missing. Mind telling me where he went?”

“Exploring. He’ll be back sooner or later though, and he won’t take kindly to hearing his crew has been captured,” the man said, “And believe me, you do _not_ want to put our captain in a foul mood. So why don’t you just clear on out, and we’ll forget we ever saw you. Deal?”

“I’m afraid we won’t be giving up so easily,” Stan said, “Now you can either stay in that cave and starve to death, or you can surrender now and live to die another day. Your choice.”

There was more whispering, then a man popped out of the hole. Mabel recognized him immediately, he’d been the one who told her to go to Greasy’s, “My name is Tad Strange, first mate of _Mentis_ , and we surrender.”

“Good,” Stan said, not relaxing at all, “Leave the cave one at a time, and drop your weapons when you get out. Anyone who tries anything we don’t like will be shot, understand?”

“Aye-Aye,” Tad said. He made his way down the rocks, then tossed his sword and his pistol to the ground.

“Mabel, Candy, you girls tie them up,” Stan barked, Candy went to find more rope and Mabel went to tie Tad’s wrists as the second crew member, the buck toothed man they’d glimpsed earlier, made his way out of the cave.

“Still looking for your brother, eh Shooting Star?” Tad asked, and Mabel froze for a second before pulling the ropes a bit tighter than necessary, “You know when he came back with the captain I’d assumed you hadn’t made it to the tavern in time, because surely Pine Tree wouldn’t have left his dear twin behind.”

“Prisoners shouldn’t talk out of turn,” Mabel said, her voice not sounding half as confident as she would have liked. She kept her eyes on the ropes, trying to tie a proper knot, but her hands had started shaking.

“And brothers shouldn’t abandon their sisters,” he said, “He did abandon you didn’t he? Because in order for you to have found this place you _must_ have made it to Greasy’s. I wonder, how does it feel to know your brother would rather be amongst murders and thieves than his own sister? What does it say about _you_ if he’d choose to stay with _monsters_?”

Mabel slapped him, tears welling up in her eyes. She wanted to yell at him, to say he was wrong and had no idea what he was talking about. But she couldn’t find the words, not when he’d just voiced every thought she’d been afraid to think since the moment Dipper had walked away.

“Mabel?” Candy placed a concerned hand on her shoulder, but Mabel shook her off.

“You should gag this one,” she said, her voice barely audible. Then she bolted again. She wasn’t sure where she was going, the tears had started falling and she couldn’t see anything but the green of the forest. She’d slip and stumble, but she wouldn’t stop. She’d torn open her pant leg, and her knee was scraped, but she kept going.

Mabel ran until there was nowhere left to run, and the only sound was that of the river and the water falling off the edge of the cliff next to her. Only then did her legs crumble beneath her, and she curled into a ball as sobs wracked her body. She replayed the conversation with Tad Strange, and the day in Kingston when she almost got her brother back. She was torturing herself, but she couldn’t stop. Because it didn’t matter if they found Dipper anymore, he wasn’t going to leave with them, he wasn’t going to leave with _her_.

He had chosen to stay aboard a ship filled with monsters, and she was never going to get him back.


	19. Finding the Light

Walking in the dark was difficult, but walking in the dark while losing blood from a cut that maybe wasn’t as minor as originally thought was damn near impossible. If it wasn’t for Bill holding him up, Dipper would probably have broken his neck trying to navigate the pitch blackness.

“You doing okay there kid?” Bill asked.

“M’fine,” Dipper slurred, and Bill pulled him down to the ground.

“Shit, you got hit in the head back there didn’t you?” Bill’s hands started moving along Dipper’s head, and he leaned into the touch. Then Bill found the cut, “Well that doesn’t feel so bad.”

There was a sound like fabric rustling, then the sound of a match being struck, and suddenly there was light. Dipper couldn’t help but stare at the way the fire reflected in Bill’s eye, it was beautiful and warm and dangerous, just like Bill himself.

“Jesus kid, why didn’t you say something?” Bill said, trying to pull off his sash without extinguishing the match. He failed, but once he had two hands again he started wrapping Dipper’s head with the soft yellow fabric.

“I didn’t realize it was so bad,” Dipper said, “But shouldn’t we clean it before bandaging it?”

“Probably, but I don’t have enough light to do it properly,” Bill said.

“Well you’ve got matches, can’t we make a torch?” Dipper said, “We could wrap some fabric around a sword and light it! It wouldn’t be the best, but desperate times call for desperate measures right?”

“That just might work,” Bill said, humming thoughtfully, “Take off your shirt.”

“What? No!” Dipper said, “Use your own shirt!”

“I’m not burning a perfectly good shirt Pine Tree,” Bill said, and Dipper just knew he was rolling his eye.

“ _My_ shirt is a perfectly good shirt!” he retorted.

“No, it really isn’t,” Bill scoffed, “Now take it off!”

“Oh screw you,” Dipper huffed, angrily tugging off his shirt.

“Wait till we get back,” Bill said, laughing as Dipper spluttered for a response. It only took Bill a few minutes to lite the torch, and though the cave was still bathed in shadow, they could at least see each other. Dipper couldn’t help but blush at the look Bill gave him, it was downright predatorial, “Definitely when we get back.”

Dipper crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the man before him, “You’re crazy if you think I’d fall for that again.”

“Fall for what?” Bill looked genuinely confused, though he didn’t let that deter him from cleaning the gash on Dipper’s head with whatever form of alcohol was in his flask.

“Your flirting trick,” Dipper said, wincing a bit when the makeshift disinfectant made contact with the cut, “You blatantly hit on me, and then once I slept with you, you pushed me away.  Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.”

“I’m not trying to trick you,” Bill said, his expression unreadable, “I honestly do like you Dipper.”

Dipper didn’t know how to respond to that, so he went with confused skepticism, “Wait what?”

Bill smiled a bit, “I like you, quite a lot actually. It’s kind of a new feeling for me, so I guess I’m not really great at showing it.”

“Oh no, you’ve been doing a _wonderful_ job of it,” Dipper said, and Bill scowled at him.

“I am _trying_ to confess here, so can it on the sarcasm,” he said, and Dipper bit back his laugh, “But anyway, you’re smart, hardworking, funny, honest, not to mention incredibly attractive,” Bill smiled as Dipper began blushing, “You’re not like any other person I’ve ever met, and I’ll admit that falling for you wasn’t something I was prepared to handle. So I pushed you away, which I realize now was a mistake, but it seemed like the safest course of action at the time. And then you saved my life. Then you not only brought me back to _Mentis_ , but you _stayed_ there. I was being pretty terrible to you, but you stuck by me anyway, and I still don’t understand _why_. But it made me think about what would have happened if you hadn’t, and I realized that I _really_ don’t want to lose you Pine Tree.”

Dipper didn’t know what he could say to that, but he knew he needed to say _something_. It seemed like forever that they stared at each other, and Dipper quickly realized that there was nothing he _could_ say that would properly convey his feelings about Bill. So he acted.

Dipper leaned up and kissed him. It was bolder than anything he would normally do, and maybe it was the blood loss, but he liked to think it just meant that Bill was special. Either way the move definitely got his point across. Bill wrapped his arms around Dipper’s waist and pulled him into his lap, and Dipper brought his arms up to rest on Bill’s shoulders. They didn’t break the kiss until they were both gasping for breath, but neither pulled away.

“I promise, I’m not going anywhere,” Dipper said.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Bill said, before kissing him again.

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

They’d been walking for _at least_ an hour, but there was still no sign of an exit. Just rocks and shadows. But Dipper didn’t really care about anything other than the man currently holding his hand as they wandered through the darkness.

“Is it just me, or does this cave seem way too long for how wide the cliff had been?” Dipper asked, “Even with all the turns we’ve made, shouldn’t we have found an exit already? Or even a dead end?”

“Maybe,” Bill said, “But I’m pretty sure we’ve been going uphill.”

“Do you think we’ll come out at the top of the cliff then? I’d hate to have to-” Dipper was cut off by Bill shushing him, “Don’t shush me!”

“Kid, listen,” Bill said, “Can you hear that?”

Dipper paused, and then his eyes widened. Bill grinned at him, and they took off towards the sound of the waterfall.

They turned a few times, but then they could see light. Dipper turned around the last corner and gasped. There was a massive opening in the cave, covered entirely by water, “We found it!”

Dipper rushed forward, he couldn’t wait to feel the sun again, “Pine Tree, wait-”

Dipper stepped through the waterfall and found nothing but air. He screamed as he started to fall forward, only to be yanked back when Bill grabbed him by the wrist. They fell back into the cave together, but even when he hit the ground his heartbeat didn’t slow.

“You okay?” Bill asked, Dipper shook his head.

“We’re so _high_ ,” he whispered, “and there’s just _nothing_ _there_.”

Bill pulled him into his lap, wrapping his arms around him, “Hey, you’re okay. I’d never let you fall.”

“We’re gonna die in here, aren’t we?” Dipper asked, he was looking at the water, but not really seeing it. He couldn’t get the picture of the ocean out of his head. It had been so far below him, but that was all there was.

“We are _not_ going to die Dipper,” Bill said, “We’ll figure something out. We can probably move those rocks away if we’re careful. It’ll be okay.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better,” Dipper said.

“That’s irrelevant,” Bill said.

“Hello?” a woman called from somewhere outside the cave. Bill and Dipper exchanged a shocked look, “Are you alright? I know I heard screaming from somewhere around here…”

The woman trailed off, her voice had cracked and it sounded like she’d been crying, but Dipper still recognized it, “Mabel!”

“Dipper?” she called back, and Dipper carefully moved towards the edge of the cave, “Where are you bro-bro?”

“In a cave behind the waterfall!” Dipper said, “I think you’re above us? Be careful though, we’re on the edge of the cliff and it’s a straight drop!”

“Can you stick something out?” Mabel asked, and she sounded closer, “This is a pretty big waterfall. And what do you mean us?”

“Bill’s with me,” Dipper pulled his sword from its sheath and stuck it through the water, wiggling it around as much as he could.

“I see you!” Mabel said, “Just hang on, I’m coming to get you!”

“Wait, you’re what?” Dipper asked, but there was no response. Dipper gave Bill a confused glance, but the man just shrugged.

“Geronimo!” Mabel shouted, and a moment later she was crashing through the water and into Dipper.

“Mabel! How did you-”

“Grappling hook!” She shouted proudly, holding up a strange gun like device with a rope attached to it, “Now come on, we need to get you out of here!”

“That can’t be safe,” Dipper blanched.

“It is absolutely safe,” She rolled her eyes and gave the rope a sharp yank. There was a snapping sound and then the rope loosened. Something that looked suspiciously like a tree branch plummeted past the waterfall, pulling the grappling hook out of Mabel’s hand and over the side of the cliff. There was a splash as it hit the water below.

“Oh yeah, that was _totally_ safe,” Bill said. Mabel turned to him with a glare, and then punched him in the face.


	20. This is Our Get Along Cave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so as you may have noticed, I've finally established how many chapters this fic has! Which makes this the beginning of the end. So, because I'm cruel and the last chapter isn't quite finished yet, I'm gonna drag this out a bit! But don't worry, I'll be posting Chapter 21 on Wednesday, and Chapter 22 on Saturday.
> 
> A big thank you to everyone who comments, bookmarked, or left kudos on this story, you guys are the best, and seeing your reactions is by far my favorite part of writing. Love you guys! <3

Mabel couldn’t help but smile as her fist made contact with Bill’s nose, and there was a crack that told her she’d broken it.

“Mabel what the hell was that?” Dipper said, rushing to stand between them.

“ _That_ , was for Great Uncle Stan,” she said, crossing her arms defiantly.

“Fair enough,” Bill said, pinching his nose in an attempt to stop the bleeding, “You’ve got one hell of a left hook Shooting Star.”

She felt a bit of pride at that, but then remembered who she was dealing with and quickly turned it back to anger, “Well there’s plenty more where that came from. Now release my brother, you isosceles monster!”

“Isosceles?” Bill gave her a look that could mean only two things. Either he didn’t know the word she’d just attempted to use, or she’d used it wrong.

“Yeah! It means obsessive over islands,” she tried to sound very certain about it.

“That would be islomaniac,” Dipper said.

“Oh,” She made a silent resolution to stop using words she didn’t know the exact meaning of as insults, “What did I say?”

“Isosceles. Which is a type of triangle,” Bill said with a knowing smirk.

“Nobody asked you, you islomaniac monster!” She glared at him, trying to convey as much hatred as possible. He seemed unfazed, just shrugging at her.

“Well either way, I’m not holding your brother hostage,” Bill said, “Pine tree is free to do as he wishes.”

“I am?” Dipper looked very confused.

“Of course you are,” Bill said, then he leaned in close and whispered something Mabel couldn’t hear. Though judging by how red Dipper’s face got, she probably didn’t want to. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion anyway.

“Dipper, I don’t know what he’s told you, but Cipher is completely insane,” she said.

“Sure I am, what’s your point?” Bill replied. Mabel glared at him.

“My _point_ , is that you can’t trust him,” she said, turning back to Dipper.

“Mabel, he’s really not that bad,” Dipper said, “I know he’s got a bad reputation, but he doesn’t really deserve it.”

“He absolutely does deserve it!” Mabel said, “He killed our Great Uncle!”

Dipper paled, “Stan’s dead? I knew he got injured, but I didn’t think it was that bad-”

“Not that uncle,” Mabel said, “Stan’s brother, Ford. They were twins too, and Cipher killed him!”

“I didn’t kill him,” Bill said, “I _marooned_ him.”

“He died as a direct result of your actions,” Mabel said, “You killed him!”

“That island was perfectly survivable,” Bill said, then he faltered a bit, “I think.”

“You think?” Dipper gave him an incredulous look.

Bill shrugged, “I have marooned _a lot_ of people over the years Pine Tree. You can’t expect me to remember every little detail.”

“The survivability of the island you’re leaving someone on is _not_ a ‘little detail’ Bill!” Dipper said.

“It is when you don’t care,” he replied.

Dipper face-palmed with a groan, “God help me, I’m dating a sociopath.”

“Wait, dating?” Mabel said, her anger giving way to shock, “Since when?”

“Officially? Today,” Bill said, grinning as he wrapped an arm around Dipper, “Unofficially since our stop in Tortuga.”

“Oh. _Oh_ ,” Mabel’s eyes widened as the realization hit her. Dipper hadn’t chosen some random pirates over her, he’d chosen his _boyfriend_. And for a sappy romantic such as herself, that fact changed everything, “Oh Dipper, I am so so so sorry!”

“Mabel you have nothing to be sorry for,” Dipper said.

“Dipper I was forcing you to choose between family and true love!” she said, utterly appalled with her blindness, how could she not have seen it? She was supposed to be a love _expert_! “Oh gosh, I’m your antagonist!”

“Mabel!” Dipper said, pulling away from Bill to grab her by the shoulders, “Mabel, you are my twin sister and my best friend, there is literally no situation where you could _ever_ be my antagonist.”

“Really?” she asked, and he gave her a smile and a nod.

“Really,” he said, “Awkward sibling hug?”

“No way, you’re shirtless!” she said, “That’s _way_ too awkward. How’d that even happen?”

Dipper grimaced a bit, “We burned it to make a torch.”

“What happened to the torch?” Mabel asked, glancing between them.

“It got doused when Pine Tree tried to walk off a cliff,” Bill said.

“That’s not what happened Bill,” Dipper grumbled.

“Ok, well do we need another one to get out of here?” Mabel asked.

“There is no way out of here,” Dipper said bitterly, “We walked through this entire tunnel, and it’s a cliff at this end and a cave in on the other.”

“We shifted the rocks though,” Mabel said, “Grunkle Stan was taking the crew as prisoners when I left.”

“There were two sets of rubble Mabel, one at the entrance and one between us and them,” Dipper said, “And the second one isn’t safe to move.”

“And what do you mean taking prisoners?” Bill said.

“Stan made them surrender,” Mabel said, “And what about the second tunnel?”

“What second tunnel?” Dipper asked.

Mabel rolled her eyes and turned him around to see the two tunnels, “You need to sharpen your observational skills bro-bro.”

“Guess we’d better make a new torch,” Bill said with a grin.

 

XoXoXoXoX

 

Navigating the second tunnel turned out to be a team effort; it had a very steep incline the whole way through, and occasionally they actually had to climb in order to keep going. Mabel didn’t know what they would have done without the torch, and its continued helpfulness made burning her favorite sash a reasonable loss.

“This is so horrible,” Mabel complained as she made her way up a steep incline, “Why’d you guys even  _want_ to go in a cave?”

“Treasure hunting!” Bill said cheerily.

“Too bad it doesn’t exist,” Dipper said.

“You don’t know that for certain,” Bill said, seeming a bit miffed by Dipper’s skepticism.

“Well I know that we’re never gonna find it,” Dipper said.

Mabel sighed in relief as the ground leveled out again, “Do you two always bicker like this?”

“No,” Bill said, at the same time that Dipper said, “Yes.”

Mabel laughed, it was nice to see how they interacted with each other. Bill may have done some pretty awful things, but Mabel was now certain he’d never do anything bad to Dipper. She was still going to threaten him later of course, because that’s what siblings are for, but it was nice to know she’d never have to follow through on it.

She lead the way as the two continued to argue about how often they argued, smiling to herself the whole way. She was so content she almost didn’t notice the slight breeze that made its way through the cave, “Hey did you guys feel that?”

“Feel what?” Dipper asked as another breeze came through, this one stronger.

“ _That_!” Mabel said, increasing her pace. She gasped when they came out in a large cavern. There was an opening near the ceiling, and while the sun was definitely starting to set there was still more than enough light to illuminate everything. There was a worn path leading up to the opening, but the most interesting thing about the cavern was the large plie of treasure sitting in the center of it.

“I told you it was a real treasure!” Bill said, a smug grin plastered to his face. Mabel moved towards the pile with a squeal.

“Just look at it all!” She said, eyes flitting from jewelry to statues to goblets, “Everything’s so beautiful! I can’t _believe_ someone would just leave it in an old cavern.”

Bill laughed, “It’s to keep it safe from thieves.”

“Well it’s a waste if you ask me,” Mabel said.

Bill opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by cannon fire, “The hell was that?”

“I don’t know,” Mabel said, frowning, “Everyone from _El_ _Misterio_ came to shore.”

“Well _someone_ just fired their cannons,” Dipper said, just as they went off again.

“I swear, if your uncle is damaging _Mentis_ ,” Bill didn’t finish the threat, but it was still enough to make Mabel uneasy.

“Come on, we need to get out of here and figure out what’s going on,” she said, leading the way up the path towards the opening.

“Is anyone still on _Mentis_?” Dipper asked.

Bill nodded, “Pacifier and Keyhole.”

Mabel gave Dipper an incredulous look, and he mouthed _just go with it_ in response.

When they came out of the cavern they could easily see the entirety of the island, as well as the waters surrounding it. It would have been beautiful, if not for the third ship currently bombarding _El Misterio_.

Mabel let out a strangled scream as the cannons went off a third time, Dipper pulled her into a hug as Bill swore.

“That’s a navy ship,” Bill said, “What the bloody hell is the British navy doing here?”

“It’s Gideon,” Mabel said, tears streaming down her face. Her vision was blurry, but she could still see the bright orange fires spreading across the ship, “He’s coming after me again.”

“Hey, it’ll be alright,” Dipper said, rubbing circles on her back, “And hey, you said no one was on board right? There’s nothing on that ship worth crying over.”

Mabel’s heart sunk, “Yes there is. Waddles was still on board.”

“Waddles?” Bill asked, and she felt Dipper shrug against her.

“He was my pig,” she mumbled.

“Then let’s go avenge him,” Bill said. Mabel sniffed and dried her eyes, then gave him a firm nod.

“Lead the way,” she said, gripping her sword tightly. It was time to teach Gideon a lesson.


	21. The Final Showdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who commented, bookmarked, and/or left kudos, I really love seeing that people are enjoying this story! Also, reading your extremely violent/mournful comments was really amusing, you guys are the best.

Dipper wasn’t quite sure he liked the quest of vengeance Bill had inspired his sister to take on, but as they made the trek down the cliff there wasn’t anything he could do to try and talk her down. It wasn’t until they reached the original entrance of the cave that they heard the sound of gunshots. Mabel tried to run forward, but Dipper grabbed her hand first.

“Mabel you can’t run there, you’ll fall and break your neck,” he said, and she glared at him.

“We can’t just let our friends die!” she retorted, tugging her hand out of his grasp. She didn’t try to run again though.

“They’ll be okay,” Bill said, “My crew is more than capable of killing a bunch of bluecoats.”

“Your crew was being bound and hopefully gagged last I saw them.” Mabel said, “I highly doubt they’ll be of much use.”

Bill frowned at that, and they spent the rest of the journey in silence.

By the time they made it to the bottom of the cliff the sun had gone down, and the only light was that of the stars and the moon. They moved through the trees carefully, listening for any sign of the crews. The silence was undoubtedly scarier than anything else they could have heard, especially considering that the crew of _Mentis_ was _never_ quiet.

“Do you think Gideon sailed off with them?” Mabel asked, but Bill shook his head.

“He wouldn’t leave without you,” he said, “Or me, if he figures out that Tad isn’t the captain.”

Mabel made a face of disgust at the mention of Tad, but before Dipper could question it they heard voices. Bill pulled the twins down into the bushes just as a torch came into view.

“Who’s out there?” asked a navy sailor with white eyes. Two other men stood nervously behind him, one tall and lanky with a long nose, the other short, stout, and with a thick gray mustache.

“Now I really don’t think there’s anyone out here Ghost Eyes,” said the short man, “And this forest is putting Durland on edge-”

“I heard someone Blubs, and we’re going to find them,” Ghost Eyes snapped.

“And just who could you have heard?” Blubs asked, “This island is deserted.”

“Could’ve been Cipher,” Ghost Eyes said, “Or Miss Pines.”

“Miss Pines wouldn’t hide from us,” Durland said, “We’re here to rescue her from those pirates!”

“Ghost Eyes!” called a shrill voice, “Where are you! Get back here!”

Ghost Eyes frowned, “Stay here and find the source of the noise, I’ll go see what Gleeful wants.”

Blubs and Durland looked terrified by the idea of being left alone, but they were clearly even more afraid of Ghost Eyes. They stood in terrified silence, frantically scanning the trees. Bill carefully pulled out his sword and gestured for Dipper to do the same. Mabel started to follow suit, and Dipper shook his head, trying to silently order her to stay there. She gave him a defiant glare and continued to draw her sword. Dipper looked to Bill for help, but the man just shrugged and crept forward.

Dipper Bit back a groan as he and Mabel followed him, and the three carefully surrounded the two sailors.

“Drop your weapons,” Bill said as he popped up behind them. The whirled to look at him, and Durland let out a yelp. They turned away to run and ran straight into Dipper and Mabel, “I won’t ask twice.”

The two quickly pulled off their swords and pistols, then threw them to the ground, “We surrender! Please don’t kill us!”

Bill smiled, “But if I let you live, you could give us away.”

“We won’t,” Blubs said, “your secret is safe with us.”

Bill gave a thoughtful hum, and Mabel shot Dipper a nervous glace, “Tell you what, we won’t kill you,” Bill sheathed his sword again, “But we also won’t be letting you go.”

The two sailors had the chance to look confused before Bill stepped forward and knocked their heads together. The two fell to the ground immediately, completely unconscious.

Mabel breathed a sigh of relief, “For a second there I thought you were really gonna kill them.”

Bill shrugged, “I considered it, but I was worried you might scream.”

Bill turned and walked in the direction Ghost Eyes had gone, and Mabel frowned at him from behind. Dipper trailed after them, he was really not looking forward to seeing Bill kill. He knew it was part of being a pirate, and he knew Bill had done it before, but _hearing_ about something and actually _seeing_ it were two very different things.

As they walked on they heard voices, and they dropped down low when they reached the edge of the tree line. Dipper frowned at the scene on the beach, the crew of _Mentis_ and _El Misterio_ were currently bound on the beach, with the exception on Tad and Stan. However that was only because they were currently being questioned by Ghost Eyes and a young man with white hair who Dipper could only assume was Gideon Gleeful.

_El Misterio_ was still burning just off shore, but _Mentis_ nowhere to be found. Which…was probably for the best actually, since that meant she was still afloat. Dipper scanned the Navy men, there were about twenty of them in all.

“So what’s the plan?” Mabel whispered, glancing between Dipper and Bill.

“We free my crew and kill the navy men,” Bill said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Ok,” she said, “But _how_?”

“We just do it,” Bill said, rolling his eye.

“Bill that isn’t a plan,” Mabel frowned at him.

“Oh, and you’ve got a better idea?” Bill asked.

“Guys, keep your voices down,” Dipper hissed, looking at the sailors, no one seemed to have heard the bickering yet, but that could only last so long.

“Well, no, but that doesn’t make your idea any less terrible!” Mabel said, completely ignoring Dipper’s request.

“Really? Because I’ve always thought that any idea is better than no idea,” Bill retorted.

“Well scurvy is better than small pox, does that make scurvy good?” Mabel glared at him.

“So what, we should sit around doing nothing?” Bill asked.

“Guys, seriously-”

“No, I want us to do something that isn’t going to get us killed!” Mabel said, her voice rising to a shout. Every head on the beach turned towards them, and Dipper felt his stomach drop.

“Stay down,” Bill whispered, “They only know about me and Shooting Star, we’ll distract them. Get the crew loose.”

Then Bill stood up before Dipper could protest, and pulled Mabel out of the bushes with him, “So, where’s this Captain Gleeful I’ve heard so much about?”

“That would be me,” The white haired man stepped forward, “Now if you would be so kind as to release my fiancé-”

“Yeah I don’t think I will,” Bill said, pulling out his pistol and pressing it to Mabel’s head. Dipper’s blood ran cold, but surely Bill would never hurt her? Gideon’s face contorted in rage and Bill just smiled, “Now then, Shooting Star and I are going to take a boat out, and none of you are going to stop us.”

Every eye was on Bill and Mabel as they backed towards the long boats, and it took Dipper a minute to realize that this was the distraction Bill had mentioned. He darted out of the bushes and over to the crew, Pyronica’s eyes widened when she saw, and he put a finger to his lips as he cut through the ropes binding her hands. She grinned at him as he moved to free Teeth next, and she silently moved to the pile where their weapons had been placed. Once she was armed she returned to help, and by the time Bill and Mabel had reached the boats the entire crew of _Mentis_ was free and armed to the teeth.

“You weren’t _really_ planning to leave without us, were you captain?” Pyronica said, a wide grin splitting her face as she brandished her sword. And the Navy men paled as they turned to face her.

Bill returned the grin as he released Mabel, “Of course not! I was just waiting for the fun to begin.”

Then the crew attacked. Dipper followed them into the fray, but quickly lost the stomach for it. He’d seen people die before, but this was a slaughter. Dipper instead focused on getting to Mabel, who was currently fighting Gideon and Ghost Eyes with Bill. Dipper was shocked at how skilled she was, her form was perfect, and her footwork near flawless.

Dipper kept staring in awe until someone attacked him, and he quickly moved to defend himself. Swords clashed around him, and he could hear the crew of _El Misterio_ calling out encouragements. Dipper focused on disarming his opponent, a heavy set man with short brown hair. The man yielded fairly easily once he noticed he was one of the few left standing, but Dipper knocked him out for good measure.

He glanced back at Mabel to see that she and Bill had Gideon cornered, and Ghost eyes was sitting on the ground with a gash on his arm a few feet away. Dipper moved towards them at lightning speed as Mabel raised her sword, “Don’t kill him!”

“Why shouldn’t I?” Mabel asked, eyes shining, “He’ll just keep coming after me! And it’s not as if her doesn’t deserve it, just think about how many people he’s had killed!”

“For piracy,” Dipper said, “That’s a crime punishable by death, he was just doing his job. It’s awful, but that’s the law, and he shouldn’t die for that. Not by your hand.”

“He murdered my best friend Dipper!” Mabel said, “He murdered Waddles.”

“You can’t murder a pig-”

“Shut up Robbie!” Mabel screamed at the dark haired boy who’d spoken, “Waddles is a perfectly sentient being and he had just as much a right to life as anyone else!”

“You didn’t let me finish,” Robbie said, “You can’t murder a pig that isn’t dead.”

“What?” Mabel looked confused as Robbie nodded to one of the long boats.

“We ran out of rope about half way through the crew, so Stan sent me back to the ship to get more. The damn thing wouldn’t stop following me so I brought him back,” Mabel had reached the boat, and was now pulling a tarp off the top of it, “He fell asleep on the way back here, so I left him there.”

Mabel squealed as she pulled a small pig from the boat, and it squealed back at her as she hugged it, “Oh thank you thank you thank you!” She ran over and hugged Robbie too, though he didn’t seem quite as pleased with the attention.

“This is cute and all,” Bill said, “But we still need to take care of Gleeful.”

“Leave him,” Dipper said, “You like marooning people, don’t you?”

“This isn’t really the right kind of island for marooning people,” Bill said, looking thoughtful, “But then again, I don’t _really_ feel like setting off the British again,” he paused for a moment, then turned to Gideon, “Tell you what kid, I’ll let you live, but only if you promise not to report this little incident. I’m sure that won’t be a problem though, since the crown would surely frown upon using their resources for a personal vendetta anyhow. So your life in exchange for your silence, deal?”

Gideon glared at Bill, Dipper had never seen someone look so furious before, “Deal,” he spat the word out as if it were poison. Bill smiled and then knocked the captain unconscious with the butt of his sword.

“Kryptos!” Bill barked, and the man jumped to attention, “Run the perimeter of the island, try and find _Mentis_ and get Pacifier and Keyhole to bring her back around to us.”

“Aye-aye Captain!” Kryptos said, then he took off down the beach.

“Xanthar, 8-Ball, Teeth, Tad, I’ve got something special that needs to be picked up,” Bill said, “Pine Tree will show you wear it is. Get everything you can carry down in one trip.”

Dipper jumped to attention when he heard his name, and it took him a minute to figure out what Bill meant, but then he remembered the whole reason they’d come to this damnable island, “Aye-aye Captain.”

He led the men back into the trees as Bill continued to give orders on looting the bodies and how to treat the crew of _El Misterio_ , but it wasn’t long before Bill’s voice faded and they were in silence. Dipper silently groaned at the thought of walking up the cliff _again_ , he’d done enough walking today to last him a life time, but he supposed the treasure would be worth it.

He wondered if they’d ever go after buried treasure again. Or if they’d be sticking to attacking passing ships for a while. But whatever fate had in store for them, Dipper new one thing for certain, he’d never be bored. So it was with that thought in mind that he led the way up to the cave, and he couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As if I could really just go and kill off Waddles. Pretty sure that's against the rules unless you're doing something painful and depressing. Hope you all enjoyed my attempt at writing a battle! I'm gonna work on getting better at writing those, I promise.


	22. The End?

It had taken some serious negotiating, but Grunkle Stan eventually convinced Bill to transport his crew back to civilization. When they got to Nassau, Mabel had been forced to say a _lot_ of goodbyes. The only people from _El Misterio_ who’d stayed aboard were Grunkle Stan, Wendy, Soos, and herself. Saying goodbye to Candy and Grenda had been the hardest by far, but they promised that they’d come back as soon as Grunkle Stan had a ship again.

And how was Grunkle Stan planning to get a new ship? She hadn’t the slightest idea. He refused to tell her anything other than, “It’ll be okay Mabel, just trust me.”

Mabel _did_ trust him, but she was still curious. And he wasn’t the only one keeping secrets either, Dipper was hiding something too. Though she had no idea what _he_ could possibly be hiding. Maybe it had to do with Grunkle Stan’s meetings with Bill? Well, she called them meetings, but they were really just arguments in the captain’s office. Either way they were both very secretive about them, not even Wendy knew what was being discussed, which probably meant Dipper didn’t know either.

However Dipper _was_ able to tell her their next destination, in fact he was downright ecstatic about it. It’d been a long time since she’d seen him smile so much, so she almost felt guilty about the groan that escaped her when he declared their next destination was Tortuga. Almost.

However her dislike of the port did nothing to change their destination, and she soon found herself in the smelly old port once more. Bill dragged them all down to the North West Tavern, and Mabel found that its employees were much more hospitable now that she was a customer. She looked warily at the tankard in front of her, it was practically overflowing with rum, but after her last experience with the drink she wasn’t so sure she wanted any.

“Rum’s really good,” Dipper said as he sat next to her, Bill taking the seat on his other side and wrapping an arm around his waist. Dipper either didn’t notice or didn’t care, “It’s sweet too. I know you’ll like it if you try it.”

“I _have_ tried it, and I _did_ like it, but I’m not so sure that the hangover is worth it,” she said, shuddering as she remembered her last experience with the drink. Dipper laughed at her.

“Then don’t drink as much this time!” he said, “Just don’t have more than three, and you should be fine.”

Mabel gave him a skeptical look, “Are you _sure_ about that? Like really, super, absolutely positive _sure_?”

Dipper laughed again, “ _Yes_ , I’m sure! You won’t get a hangover from three cups of rum, I promise.”

“Alright,” she said, finally taking a drink, “But if you’re wrong I’m holding you accountable for my pain.”

Bill snorted as he knocked back his own drink, and then he whispered something to Dipper. Her brother’s face lit up, “Oh yeah! Mabel, I got you something!”

“You did?” she asked. When had he had time to get her something? He pulled a small parcel out of his pocket and smiled at her.

“Yeah!” he said as handed it to her, and she carefully opened it. She gasped as the wrappings feel away to reveal a beautiful gold necklace with a shooting star pendent, “I found it when I was looking through the treasure. I hope you like it.”

“Oh Dipper, I love it!” She quickly put on the necklace, then wrapped him in a hug as soon as she was certain the clasp was secure, “You’re the best bro-bro. You didn’t have to get me anything.”

“Well I wanted to make sure you had something to remind you of me after we go,” he said.

“Wait what?” she said, pulling away. Dipper looked like he was mentally kicking himself, “Where are you going?”

“Whelp, cat’s out of the bag now, eh Pine Tree?” Bill said, grinning, “Stan and I made a deal, I’m gonna help him find Ford.”

“And _why_ can’t I come?” she asked, “I could help!”

“Mabel, it’s gonna be really dangerous,” Dipper said, “We don’t know exactly where Bill left Ford, and some of the islands we’re going to check are _really_ dangerous.”

“I can handle a little danger Dipper,” Mabel frowned at him, and he looked a bit guilty.

“I know you can, but this is different,” he said, lowering his voice before continuing, “Some of the islands have _magical_ _creatures_ on them.”

Mabel’s eyes widened, “Really?” Dipper nodded, and she punched him in the shoulder, “That’s all the more reason for me to want to go! No way am I letting you go up against magic without me!”

“You can argue with him all you want Shooting Star, but it really wasn’t his call. He just supported the idea,” Bill said, “Your uncle was the one who decided on leaving you behind.”

“Leaving me where?” she asked, then a horrible thought occurred to her, “Not _here_! I can’t _stand_ Tortuga, please don’t leave me here!”

Bill shrugged and took another swig of rum, and Dipper was staring intently at the table, as if it was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen.

“Grunkle Stan!” she shouted, and the old man came over with a confused look on her face, “You can’t leave me here! I want to help, I don’t care about the danger! I can handle this!”

Stan sighed and gave Bill a dirty look, “Mabel, I know you can handle yourself against humans, you proved that in the fight against Gideon. But where we’re going, your sword won’t be enough to protect you. These creatures are the stuff of nightmares, and I don’t want you anywhere near them.”

Mabel frowned at him and summoned her best puppy dog eyes, “I can handle it Grunkle Stan! Just tell me what I need to do to prove it!”

“Mabel I’ve already made my decision,” he said, his voice firm, “You’re staying here in Tortuga, the Northwest’s have already agreed to look after you.”

Mabel let out a whine, “Aw c’mon Shooting Star, it’s not _that_ bad.”

“Yes it is!” she glared at Bill, “Tortuga is a _nightmare_!”

“I know, but it’s the only place where Gideon can’t follow,” Stan said, “Just in case he gets off the island.”

“Well it’s not the _only_ place,” Bill said, “But it was the _closest_ place.”

“It’s not forever Mabel,” Stan said, “I’ve already found a way to get a new ship, and once Wendy and Soos pick it up they’ll come right back here to get you.”

“Why can’t I just go with them?” Mabel asked.

“Because the Navy is looking for you, and the ship is New England,” Stan said, “And I want to make sure that this ship isn’t connected to our family, otherwise Gideon will just follow us around all over again.”

Mabel sighed. The reasoning was sound, and he clearly wasn’t going to change his mind, “I’m still very upset about this. And I think you’re being unfair. Anything Dipper can handle I can handle too.”

“Well if it were up to me he’d be staying here too,” Stan grumbled.

“But it isn’t!” Bill said cheerfully, wrapping his arms around Dipper and resting his chin on his head, “And I for one would _never_ leave a crew member behind.”

Stan gave Bill another dirty look, and Bill just grinned at him. Mabel hoped they’d be able to get along long enough to rescue Great Uncle Ford. And also that Great Uncle Ford was still alive.

Mabel sighed again, “So when are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow afternoon,” Dipper said, disentangling himself from Bill and putting his hands on her shoulders, “And I promise I’ll write to you every time we stop at a port, okay?”

“Okay,” she said, “And I wanna hear about all the weird stuff you guys see!”

“Of course!” he said, smiling at her, “Awkward sibling hug?”

“Awkward sibling hug,” she said, embracing her brother. Mabel gave Dipper her best smile when he pulled away, but she was sighing internally. How long would they be separated this time? Would there be a point where they just gave up and threw in the towel? And of course there was the thought she couldn’t allow herself to think, what if they _never_ _come_ _back_?

Mabel shook her head to banish the negative thoughts, everything would be fine. Bill had been to the islands before, and he would know how to handle anything that lurked there. They’d be okay.

“Everything settled then?” Bill asked, a slight smirk on his face.

Mabel crossed her arms and pouted, “I’m mad at all of you, but I recognize when I’ve been beaten.”

Bill laughed, and Dipper and Stan looked apologetic, “Mabel, this really is for the best. I know you don’t think so right now, but one day you’re gonna look back and thank me for this.”

“I highly doubt that,” she said, “Tortuga is a dirty, ramshackle town full of drunks and thieves. How anyone can stand to live here is beyond me.”

“It’s not that bad,” Stan said, rolling his eyes, “You’ve only seen it at night, it’s a whole new place in the light of day.”

“You’re right,” Mabel said, “Then it’ll be a dirty, ramshackle town full of _hungover_ thieves.”

Bill laughed, then let out a yawn, “Well, it’s getting late, and we have a big day ahead of us. Come one Pine Tree.”

Bill got up, and Dipper followed despite his confusion, “But it’s only like, nine. How can you possibly be tired right now?”

Bill raised an eyebrow at Dipper, and whispered something in his ear. Dipper flushed a bit, then turned back to Mabel, “Right, early to bed early to rise! I’ll see you in the morning Mabel!”

Then they left, and Mabel turned to see Stan looking as though he’d swallowed something very sour, “You alright Grunkle Stan?”

“Just need more rum,” he said, walking over to the bar.

Mabel frowned after him, his glass had been half full. She brushed it off as him being old and looked down at her own rum. She didn’t really feel much like celebrating anymore, but she took a swig anyway.

This was going to be her last night with her friends, and she was determined to try and have fun. So what if she was going to miss out on the greatest rescue of all time? She couldn’t let that ruin the great adventure that was her life! She took another sip of rum, then went to find Wendy. Tonight would be fun, and she wasn’t going to think about anything negative until tomorrow. It was a perfect plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so you're probably thinking, how is this an ending? Well it's the ending to the first part of a series! And the next part of this adventure will be titled A Great Rescue, though I'm not quite sure when I'll be posting it just yet, I'm still outlining right now. However I will be posting those intros from Bill's perspective soon, they kinda link together a lot and they've been turning out more like a "how Bill became a pirate" series, and they're gonna be super awesome.
> 
> Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this story, and thank you all so much for sticking with me to the end! You guys are amazing, and I cannot express how excited I get whenever I get an email about a new comment or kudos, and when this story hit 100 kudos? I actually started squealing and then texted all of my writer friends because I was freaking out about it. So really, you guys are just amazing, and I cannot thank you enough for all the attention you've given this story. <3

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so excited to be working on this, I don't think I've ever been so excited to work on a fic before. I just hope you have as much fun reading it as I have writing it!


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